PGU Forensic Psychology Disscussion

Reactions to stressful situations can lead to physiological, mental, and emotional changes. In the early 1930s, Dr. Hans Selye (1978) documented a “stress response” that is experienced by the body because of stress. As a person deals with a stressful situation, the brain responds to perceived danger by producing chemicals that prepare the body to react to that danger. Physical readiness for a stress response involves an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, increase in perspiration, and pupil dilation. At the same time, emotions can run high with feelings of fear, irritability, anxiety, and/or worry. Mentally, responses can include irrational thoughts that lead to depression, anxiety, and physiological problems. If a person perceives events as continuing to be dangerous, this physical and emotional state will be maintained and the individual’s immunity will suffer; severe illness could result. According to Selye (1978), the body cannot withstand the stress response for too long, and will suffer by wearing itself down.

Police professionals encounter stressful situations daily, simply because of the unpredictability of events that occur and the subsequent danger they often face. Therefore, the police professional may remain in a sustained physiological state of stress, feeling anxious about possible injury or death, and having thoughts of impending disaster. Police professionals may try to cope with this stress by engaging in destructive behaviors that may increase stress and produce additional problems. Forensic police professionals can provide prevention and intervention programs to assist police professionals in developing and improving coping strategies to deal with sustained stress. You might imagine that utilizing available resources and addressing these issues would be common sense and common practice. However, despite the continued stress police professionals experience and the availability of services to mitigate the consequences, many do not take advantage of these services. Stereotypes about psychological services and a lack of protection for personal privacy are pervasive in the policing community. Regardless of what police organization you may work for as a forensic psychology professional, you are bound to face a number of stereotypes and challenges that make it difficult to assist police professionals. Couple this with ethical issues that arise while working with police professionals, and you can understand the necessity for forensic psychology professionals to be informed, prepared, and armed with strategies in their “toolbox” to address these challenges and issues.