Issue link: http://lawandordermag.epubxp.com/i/98779
SPECIAL REPORT Solutions to Stress from Traumatic Incidents SUMMARY Law enforcement generates a higher rate of stress because of the frequency and severity of exposure to traumatic events. Most officers have likely experienced a distressing or traumatic event within the past year. Just becoming a police officer does not provide a way for managing the stress of the job or avoiding any emotional reactions to it. Be proactive. Don���t say, It will not happen here. Don���t say, We will cross that bridge when we come to it. SOLUTIONS TO STRESS FROM TRAUMATIC INCIDENTS By Rodney Stearns WE MUST BE PROACTIVE. W hile offcers and the public rarely question physical injuries sustained while on-duty, the disabling effects of job-related trauma are not always readily visible. Having a traumatic reaction, or the fear of even acknowledging a traumatic reaction, is somehow seen as a weakness. We need to accept that a reaction may occur. Preparing for 34 LAW and ORDER I December 2012 it is a fundamental duty. Typically, law enforcement supervisors are at a loss for words following a traumatic event involving their personnel and simply choose to say nothing. This act alone may be a defning point for managers and can be easily conceptualized as lacking empathy and understanding. Most new offcers cannot truly understand the magnitude of the impact of exposure to critical events, and even