Cuffed together: A study on how law enforcement work impacts the officer’s spouse
| DOI | 10.1177/1461355720962527 |
| Date | 01 December 2020 |
| Published date | 01 December 2020 |
| Author | Karen M Friese |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
Cuffed together: A study on how law
enforcement work impacts the
officer’s spouse
Karen M Friese
California State University, USA
Abstract
Law enforcement officer spouses and significant others (LEOS) are susceptible to secondary trauma, i.e., psychological and
physiological strain from exposure to occupational stress through their interpersonal relationship with their partner.
Secondary, or vicarious, trauma in this population is a result of their partner’s occupational stress related to the dangerous
nature of the work as well as the unpredictable work environment inherent in law enforcement. Research on secondary
trauma for law enforcement personnel is limited, and there is even less for their spouses and significant others. This article
begins to fill in the gap in the literature through a mixed-methods study that sought to identify how law enforcement work
impacts LEOS, uncovering occupational stressors and various coping mechanisms. A survey of participants (n¼171)
found that LEOS report a variety of stressors and in light of these, use negative coping strategies twice as much as positive
coping strategies. Focus group data support the survey results, with 70% of respondents acknowledging significant stress
related to their partner’s occupation. Data revealed that LEOS experience elevated stress at levels close to, and
sometimes more than, the law enforcem ent officer (LEO), contributing to the u se of negative coping strategies to
manage the strain. Further research is needed to demonstrate how LEOS are at risk for experiencing long-term
physical and mental health concerns resulting from ongoing exposure to heightened levels of stress, and to explore or
design effective interventions to address or prevent secondary stress.
Keywords
Law enforcement, work stress, law enforcement spouses, secondary, trauma, occupational stress
Submitted 29 Jul 2019, Revise received 17 May 2020, accepted 31 Jul 2020
Introduction
Occupational stressors experienced by law enforcement
officers (LEO) negatively affect their interpersonal interac-
tions with their spouses and/or significant others. Law
enforcement officer spouses (LEOS) or significant others
experience high levels of stress that affect their overall phys-
ical, mental, and family health (Kirschman, 2018). Accord-
ing to Kirschman (2017:2), a clinical psychologist and
therapist for first responders, “Behind every officer who is
involved in a critical incident, there is an almost invisible
family left to pick up the pieces or to watch helplessly as a
once familiar and loving individual changes into a stranger”.
The specific impact on LEOS and how being married to a
LEO may affect spouses’ physical and mental health has not
been established because most research to date focuses on
the officer as opposed to the spouse/significant other.
Purpose of the study
There is a need to understand the cultureof being a LEOS so
community support and services can be designed to treat
common issues unique to this population. LEOS is defined
here as any individual married to or in a partnership with an
activeduty or retired sworn law enforcementofficer working,
Corresponding author:
Karen M Friese, Califor nia State University, C hico, 401 West 1st St.,
Chico, CA 95929, USA.
Email: km_friese@att.net
International Journalof
Police Science & Management
2020, Vol. 22(4) 407–418
ªThe Author(s) 2020
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DOI: 10.1177/1461355720962527
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