The Peer Support System by the Police of the Czech Republic
Abstract
Research paper the Peer Support System by the Police of the Czech Republic deals with peer support as a kind of social support for the safety forces. Peer support means providing psychological support to policemen and employees who are in a complicated, psychologically challenging life situation. It consists of offering an interview, sharing feelings and problems, any specific help or information, or possibly providing psychological help. Its goal is to prevent the development of psychological difficulties for police officers and employees and to extend possibilities of psychological support. The research paper summarizes the basic sources of stress the cops face, and at the same time briefly introduces the specifics of the police culture that plays an important role in peer support. Further the Czech practice is described. The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with nine peer support providers in the Central Bohemian Region, where the system of peer support was first introduced as a new way of psychological care for police officers. The analysis of interviews brought responses to research issues related to motivation of police officers to engage in the Peer Support System, perception of the position of the peer support within the police culture and skills acquired during initial training. Besides the topics of research questions, other important topics appeared such as confidentiality, limits of peer support, promotion, personality of the provider, etc. The results point to areas in the Peer Support System, whose elaboration and deepening can contribute to the successful establishment of a comprehensive system of the Peer Support System by the Police of the Czech Republic.
https://doi.org/10.29364/epsy.341
(Fulltext in Czech)
Keywords
peer support, social support, policeLiterature
Alexander, D. A. & Walker, L. G. (1994). A study of methods used by Scottish police officers to cope with work-induced stress. Stress Medicine, 10, 131–138. https://doi.org/…i.2460100210
Burger, N. (2012). Vodítka, psychosociální podpora pro pracovníky uniformovaných složek. Nizozemí: Impact. https://www.mvcr.cz/…-slozky.aspx
Chan, J. (1996). Changing police culture. British Journal of Criminology, 36(1), 109–134. https://doi.org/….bjc.a014061
Chan, J. (2007). Police stress and occupational culture. Sociology of Crime, Law and Deviance, 8, 129–151. https://doi.org/…6/S1521-6136(07)08005–0
Collins, P. & Gibbs, A. (2003). Stress in police officers: A study of origins, prevalence and severity of stress-related symptoms within a county police force. Occupational Medicine, 53, 256–264. https://doi.org/…ccmed/kqg061
Creamer, M. C., Varker, T., Bisson, J., Darte, K., Greenberg, N., Lau, W., & Watson, P. (2012). Guidelines for peer support in high‐risk organizations: An international consensus study using the delphi method. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 25(2), 134–141. https://doi.org/…02/jts.21685
Digliani, J. A. (2015). Contemporary Issues in Police Psychology: Police Peer Support Team Training and the Make It Safe Police Officer Initiative. Xlibris Corporation.
Digliani, J. A. (2014). Police and Sheriff Peer Support Team Manual. Dostupné z http://post.nv.gov/…-version.pdf
Digliani, J. A. (2018). Peer Support: Does it work? The Efficacy of Law Enforcement Peer Support. Peer Support Team Utilization and Outcome Survey Report. Fort Collins, Colorado. Dostupné z: http://www.jackdigliani.com/…y_report.pdf
Duxbury, L. & Higgins, C. (2012). Caring for and about those who serve: Work-life conflict and employee wellbeing within Canada’s police departments. Sprott School of Business, Carleton University.
Grauwiler, P., Barocas, B., & Mills, L. G. (2008). Police peer support programs: current knowledge and practice. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, 10(1), 27–38.
Hendl, J. (2005) Kvalitativní výzkum: Základní metody a aplikace. Praha: Portál.
Karaffa, K. & Tochkov, K. (2013). Attitudes toward seeking mental health treatment among law enforcement officers. Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice, 9(2), 75–99.
Křivohlavý, J. (2001). Psychologie zdraví. Praha: Portál.
Link, B.G. & Phelan, J.C. (2001). Conceptualizing stigma. Annual Review of Sociology, 27, 363–385. https://doi.org/…soc.27.1.363
McCreary, D.R. & Thompson, M.M. (2006). Development of two reliable and valid measures of stressors in policing: The operational and organizational police stress questionnaires. International Journal of Stress Management, 13(4), 494–518. http://dx.doi.org/…245.13.4.494
McGuffin, M. (2018). Police culture: does culture prevent proper policing? University of Alaska Fairbanks. Non-Thesis Research Project.
Miovský, M. (2006). Kvalitativní přístup a metody v psychologickém výzkumu. Praha: Grada.
Pienaar, J., Rothmann, S. & van de Vijver, F.J.R. (2007). Occupational stress, personality traits, coping strategies, and suicide ideation in the South African police service. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 34(2), 246–258. https://doi.org/…854806288708
Resnick, S. G., & Rosenheck, R. A. (2008). Integrating peer-provided services: A quasi-experimental study of recovery orientation, confidence and empowerment. Psychiatric Services, 59, 1307–1314. https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/…8.59.11.1307
Shearing, C.D. & Ericson, R.V. (1991). Culture as figurative action. The British Journal of Sociology, 42(4), 481–506. https://doi.org/10.2307/591444
Violanti, J.M. & Aron, F. (1995). Police stressors: Variations in perception among police personnel. Journal of Criminal Justice, 23(3), 287–294. https://doi.org/…16/0047-2352(95)00012-F
Violanti, J. M. (2007). Police Suicide : Epidemic in Blue. Springfield, Ill: Charles C Thomas.
Voska, V. (2017). Výroční zpráva 2016 oddělení vedoucího psychologa Policejního prezidia ČR. Praha: Policejní prezidium České republiky.
Waters, J. A. & Ussery, W. (2007). Police stress: History, contributing factors, symptoms, and interventions. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 30(2), 169–188. https://doi.org/…510710753199
White, A. K., Shrader, G., & Chamberlain, J. (2016). Perceptions of law enforcement officers in seeking mental health treatment in a right-to-work state. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 31(2), 141–154. https://doi.org/…6-015-9175-4