Work-related Stress in Relation to Gender-based and Sexual Harassment Among a Group of Swedish Police Officers

Abstract

In this cross-sectional study, we investigated work-related stress, gender-based and sexual harassment among police officers working invulnerable areas in Stockholm. Datawere collected from 152 police officers using a setof questionnaires. The results indicated that job stress in “impact on significant others” and “operational stress” were reported as the two most highly rated work-related stress in police officers. Female police officers rated higher stress in “impact on significant others” and “operational stress” compared to their male counterparts. Job experience was correlated with two stress subscales only in female officers. Working as patrol officers and more than one shift were negatively associatedwithsome stress subscales among male officers. The male officers who had experience of sexual harassment reported higher “self-image” stress and “operational stress”, whereas the female officers had higher “self-image” and “confrontationwith death” stress. After controlling for gender and job experience, sexual harassment had a significant relationship with “operational stress” and “self-image stress” in police officers.