The police fight a different kind of war, and the enemy is the police officer's own civilian population: those who engage in crime, social indignity, and inhumane treatment of others. The result for the police officer is both physical and psychological battering, occasionally culminating in the officer sacrificing his or her life to protect others. This book focuses on the psychological impact of police civilian combat. During a police career, the men and women of police agencies are exposed to distressing events that go far beyond the experience of the ordinary citizen, and there is an increased need today to help police officers deal with these traumatic experiences. As police work becomes increasingly complex, this need will grow. Mental health and other professionals need to be made aware of the conditions and precipitants of trauma stress among the police. The goal of this book is to provide that important information. The book's perspective is based on the idea that trauma stress is a product of complex interaction of person, place, situation, support mechanisms, and interventions. To effectively communicate this to the reader, new conceptual and methodological considerations, essays on special groups in policing, and innovative ideas on recovery and treatment of trauma are presented. This information can be used to prevent or minimize trauma stress and to help in establishing improved support and therapeutic measures for police officers. Contributions in the book are from professionals who work with police officers, and in some cases those who are or have been police officers, to provide the reader with different perspectives. Chapters are grouped into three sections: conceptual and methodological issues, special police groups, and recovery and treatment. The book concludes with a discussion of issues and identifies future directions for conceptualization, assessment, intervention, and effective treatment of psychological trauma in policing.

Nightmares, flashbacks, anger, concentration problems, emotional detachment, avoidance of people and places... These are some of the signs of PTSD. As many as one in three cops may suffer from PTSD, a condition that could lead to depression, suicidal thorughts, addictions, eating disorders, as well as job and family conflict. CopShock prepares police officers for the aftermath of horrific trauma, helps families understand PTSD's effect on their loved ones, tells true stories of officers-men and women-with PTSD, and offers over 200 support sources. In the second edition of this much praised book on police trauma survival, almost 50 percent of CopShock has been expanded, revised or updated with new material, including self-tests for PTSD, Panic Disorder, and Depression. Law enforcement officers throughout the United States, Canada and 8 other countries have used this book in their peer support programs, police academies, and post-trauma units. Therapists recommend it to their patients, and many law enforcement college programs include it in their curricula. Since the publication of CopShock's first edition in 1999, the book has been reviewed and praised around the world. The A&E Television Network produced a documentary based on CopShock that is shown today in police academies, colleges, and peer support groups. In this new second edition, and in the aftermath of 9/11, the war on terror, and the consequences from natural disasters like hurricane Katrina, CopShock will help many more police officers, firefighters, first responders, and war veterans cope with the damaging effects of PTSD.

The Third Edition of "What To Do When The Police Leave" expands on the landmark work of the Second Edition. Written by a victim for other victims and their caregivers, this book offers authoritative and invaluable advice, guidance, and resources for families dealing with the traumatic loss of a family member or friend. New to this edition are sections on crime scene cleanup, unsolved cases, grief in the workplace, a new chapter entitled "Long-Term Grief: Living The Marathon," and a Foreword by best-selling author Patricia Cornwell. Finalist in the category of Best First Book in the Publishers Marketing Association's Benjamin Franklin Awards 2000, "What To Do When The Police Leave" is being used by victim assistance programs, clergy, funeral homes, and police departments across North America as they work with and serve the bereaved. It is recognized as one of the most valuable resources available for grieving families. This one of a kind resource is heart-to-heart practical advice from one who has been through the trenches of grief and loss, encouraging and helping others in their own paths. The victims' voice has never spoken so clearly.

Grounded in clinical research, extensive experience, and deep familiarity with police culture, this book offers highly practical guidance for psychotherapists and counselors. The authors vividly depict the pressures and challenges of police work and explain the impact that line-of-duty issues can have on officers and their loved ones. Numerous concrete examples and tips show how to build rapport with cops, use a range of effective intervention strategies, and avoid common missteps and misconceptions. Approaches to working with frequently encountered clinical problems--such as substance abuse, depression, trauma, and marital conflict--are discussed in detail. A new preface in the paperback and e-book editions highlights the book's relevance in the context of current events and concerns about police-community relations. See also Kirschman's related self-help guide I Love a Cop, Third Edition: What Police Families Need to Know, an ideal recommendation for clients and their family members.

This book is designed to help law enforcement professionals overcome the internal assaults they experience both personally and organizationally over the course of their careers. These assaults can transform idealistic and committed officers into angry, cynical individuals, leading to significant problems in both their personal and professional lives.

The objective of this book is to demonstrate how adopting a career perspective can provide a more comprehensive conceptualization of traumatic stress processes as they apply to police officers and agencies and provide a framework that can be used to guide research and intervention agenda in ways that reflect the changes that can occur over the course of a police career that can span decades. The book examines the nature and effectiveness of the police role in dealing with adverse events as they unfold within a career perspective. It begins with pre-employment experiences and their implications for operational well-being and concludes with a discussion of the implications of a police career for disengagement or retirement from this role. It draws upon empirical research to provide an evidence-based approach to traumatic stress risk management and well-being in contemporary policing. Based on state-of-the-art research, the book provides a framework that police agencies can use to develop their officers and their organizations in ways that enhance their capability to confront an increasingly uncertain future in ways that maximize the interests of front-line policing. Areas of discussion include incorporation of police trauma into a life-career course perspective; changing context and nature of police work; recruitment, selection, and socialization in the context of critical incident and terrorist work; changing gender balance; training in uncertain times; managing risk and vulnerability; organizational context; family dynamics; inter and intraorganizational teams; health and mental health; consequences of long-term exposure to hazards; and disengagement and retirement. The text will be of significant interest to police organizations and agencies whose officers face a high risk of experiencing disaster and traumatic stress, law enforcement managerial and supervisory personnel, human resource and health and safety professionals, and mental health professionals and consultants. The text will also be relevant to those researching traumatic stress, disaster stress, and emergency management as well as other protective services.