Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology最新文献

The objective of this manuscript is to explore demographic, legal, and situational considerations on use-of-force decisions. The influence of implicit bias was measured in real time using a police training simulator in an experimental study with university students (n = 115). Participants were randomly assigned to one of four scenarios which varied according to the on-screen actor’s race (e.g., White/Black) and behavior (i.e., compliance/attack). Bivariate and multivariate regression models were used to estimate the effect of implicit bias on the decision to consider and use simulated lethal force. Actor behavior, independent of actor race, most influenced participant responses. These results suggest that simulated police-public interactions offer significant value in the assessment of implicit bias, particularly in the context of use-of-force decisions. Furthermore, absence of bias is inconsistent with current news and social media narratives about the existence of bias in officer decision-making.

The present work explored the independent and joint consequences of multiple factors that prior work indicated were central to suicide risk among a sample of public safety personnel. Of key interest relevant to the experience of suicidal thoughts and behaviors were the roles of sleep disturbance, social support, and agency stigma discouraging discussion of mental health. These risk factors and relevant demographic variables were measured in a nationally representative sample of law enforcement and correctional officers at time 1. Their suicidal thoughts and behaviors were assessed one year later at time 2. Officers who reported sleep disturbances at time 1 were more likely to report suicidal thoughts and behaviors at time 2. Mediation analyses indicated that the effect of sleep on the officers’ suicidal responses was partially accounted for by their lower social support. For officers, sleep disturbances may contribute to loneliness and interfere with social relationships, which has negative mental health consequences. However, social support was only a partial mediator suggesting that sleep disturbances have additional influences on suicidal responses for officers beyond their impact on social support. Perceived stigma from the agency regarding the discussion of psychological problems was also an independent predictor of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The stigma that these officers perceived likely exasperated the suicidal reactions because it may have interfered with their tendency to seek help and benefit from any ongoing treatment. The implications of these findings for treatment and future research building on the present work are discussed.

The 2020 publicized deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor have increased social attention to incidents of police use of force in the USA. The spotlight of these events has created a divisive outlook on police tactics. Further, the current political climate has accentuated opposing viewpoints that highlight either the need for police reform or a steadfast stance on law and order. It is widely disputed whether heightened media reporting can influence individuals. This study uses historical posts from the official X, formerly known as Twitter, handles of CNN and Fox News beginning March 25, 2020, and ending November 3, 2020. A content analysis of this sample was conducted to develop thematic messages from each news provider. Results indicate that both news sources use political ideologies to characterize the same reported events. CNN focused specifically on victimology while Fox News emphasized the lawlessness of citizen demonstrations. CNN coverage centers on public demonstrations and the need for criminal justice reform. Alternatively, FOX News coverage characterizes riots and the call for steadfast law enforcement efforts to maintain public safety. The described characteristics share perspectives from the “warrior” and “guardian” roles of police officers.

In the United Kingdom, authorised firearms officers (AFOs) respond to the most serious threats, and in situations where a weapon is discharged may be subject to a post-incident investigation. The investigation may feel unjust and lead to post-traumatic embitterment disorder (PTED), however, there is a lack of research on PTED in this group. The current study estimated the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of PTED in 40 UK AFOs with experience of a post-incident procedure following a firearms-related incident. An online cross-sectional survey was hosted on Qualtrics, and participants were recruited via a gatekeeper at one UK police force. PTED was assessed using the PTED self-rating scale. Potential predictors and outcomes were measured using surveys of personal and general belief in a just world (BJW), including belief in distributive justice (i.e., fair outcomes) and procedural justice (i.e., fair processes), anger, and social desirability. Participants reported whether they had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression, and whether they experienced the post incident investigation as more problematic than the firearms incident. Results showed 15% of participants displayed clinically relevant levels of PTED. Having a possible post-traumatic stress disorder and/or depression diagnosis, feeling as though the post-incident procedure and subsequent treatment were more problematic than the incident itself, and a lack of belief in personal distributive justice, increased the risk of experiencing PTED and PTED predicted increased feelings of anger. Measures are needed to ensure the post-incident procedure delivers fair outcomes and that AFOs are given the right targeted support throughout the process.

Policing is an occupation that entails strong negative emotional experiences, and stereotypes suggest that police suppress their emotions and become emotionally detached. However, less is known about the emotion regulation strategies that police officers employ and how these strategies are associated with their well-being. Past work in non-police samples demonstrates that cognitive reappraisal is more beneficially associated with quality of life, whereas expressive suppression is more detrimentally associated with quality of life. This study hypothesized that the use of these two emotion regulation strategies would show similar patterns in a sample of American police officers from the northeast USA. Police officers (N = 118) completed self-report measures of emotion regulation strategies and multiple subjective well-being indices. Cognitive reappraisal was positively correlated with job satisfaction, satisfaction with life, and some but not all of the quality of life indices. Expressive suppression was negatively correlated with job satisfaction, satisfaction with life, and some but not all of the quality of life indices. These results could potentially be used to inform early intervention trainings that emphasize emotion regulation. Further research is needed to explore the implementation of emotion regulation-based programs in police officers to enhance their quality of life.

Professional use of external retrieval cues, such as various types of visual aids, has been utilized in investigative interviews of children for decades based on the assumption that aids can facilitate children’s recollection of abusive incidents. Although analog studies and surveys have provided insight into various aspects of visual aid utilization, there is a scarcity of field studies that addresses the use of visual aids in large samples of authentic investigative interviews of preschool-aged children. In the present study, the use and productivity of visual aids were examined in 140 investigative interviews of 3- to 6-year-old children, all of whom disclosed abuse in cases that progressed to prosecution. The exploratory analyses focused on the overall use of visual aids, the types of questions posed along with visual aids when the interviewer directly asks questions regarding the investigated incident(s), and the extent to which the children provided forensically relevant information in response to questions used along with visual aids. It was found that visual aids were utilized to elicit information regarding the investigated incident(s) in 92% (n = 129) of the interviews, with emotion cards and drawing materials being the most common aids used. The highest proportion of questions asked alongside visual aids were directive (41.6%) and option-posing (37.3%) questions, followed by suggestive questions (17.9%), and a rather low proportion of open-ended invitations (3.2%). In addition to visual aids, open-ended invitations elicited the most forensically relevant information from the interviewees. The need for standardized guidelines and specialized training for the use of visual aids in investigative interviews of young children is discussed.

The current study examined factors that may influence jurors’ judgments in a sexual harassment case. Mock jurors (N = 479) examined how a defendant’s gender and occupation, a victim’s gender, and whether the victim has produced similar accusations in the past influenced mock juror’s judgments. Participants read a case vignette describing an alleged sexual harassment and were asked to answer questions concerning defendant guilt, defendant culpability, and perceptions of the victim. Additionally, attitudes concerning sexual harassment and sexism were measured. It was found that mock jurors were more likely to believe the defendant was guilty and perceive the victim more favorably when no prior accusations had been made in the past compared to when prior accusations were present. When the defendant and victim were of the same sex, and the defendant was a university professor, higher guilt ratings were attributed to the defendant when there were no prior allegations in the victim’s past. Additionally, a complex four-way interaction was observed for the ratings of defendant guilt, and a three-way interaction was observed when examining perceptions of the victim. The results suggest that both defendant and victim characteristics have the potential to influence jurors’ judgments.

Indirect trauma, produced by repeated exposure to traumatized individuals, has an impact on a professional’s mental health, producing post-traumatic symptoms (secondary trauma [ST]) and changes in their fundamental beliefs (vicarious trauma [VT]). While indirect trauma has been extensively studied in by healthcare providers, police officers have been overlooked. This study aims to explore the impact of indirect trauma (ST and VT) in a sample of police officers. A sample composed of 112 police officers (80.4% males) from Córdoba (Spain), with a mean age of 48.69 years (SD = 8.30), completed an online survey comprised of three self-report measures (Impact of Events Scale-R, Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale, World Assumption Scale). All participants reported direct and indirect trauma. Differences concerning the impact of indirect trauma were found depending on the criteria used. Quantitatively (i.e., cut-off scores), levels of ST and VT were mild. However, qualitatively (i.e., diagnostic algorithm), 21.4% (n = 25) achieved a PTSD diagnosis produced by indirect exposure (secondary trauma). Traumatized officers showed higher levels of ST and VT than non-traumatized officers. Among them, those who received social support showed lower levels of ST and TV. Despite the prevalence of indirect trauma, only 7% of the participants received psychological support. Most of the sample (94%) considered it essential to have access to psychological services, and 84% expressed their willingness to use them if they were available. The cost of police work is often underestimated. Further investigation is required to develop effective prevention and intervention strategies.

The current study represents an exploratory application of Kamata et al. (J Sport Exerc Psychol 24:189–208, 2002) probabilistic methodology for ascertaining the optimal psychophysiological performance state of officers during police tactical driving. An optimal psychophysiological state represents the level of psychophysiological affect associated with the highest probability of performing successfully. Specifically, the psychophysiological profiles of three officers associated with optimal and non-optimal performance during police training was determined. Participants included two cadets and one veteran officer aged 23, 24, and 47, respectively. Introspective (e.g., self-report) and objective (e.g., heart rate) data were collected during tactical driving exercises and three simulated high-risk scenarios in which the participants had to pursue perpetrator vehicles and make appropriate arrests and use-of-force decisions. Results indicated that (a) officers possessed idiosyncratic differences in optimal psychophysiological states characterized by variations in optimal and non-optimal performance zones and probabilities for success, (b) cadets fluctuated between optimal and non-optimal performance states during high-risk training scenarios, and (c) self-awareness of arousal levels varied across participants. Results are discussed regarding the implementation of this methodology for mental resiliency training within law enforcement, particularly with the need to promote self-awareness and self-regulation strategies.