Examining coping skills used to deal with daily stressors of law enforcement

The purpose of this study was to explore qualitative coping skills of law enforcement officers when dealing with work-related stressors. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 14 police officers from both small and large police departments who had worked in law enforcement for at least 2 years. The researcher developed the interview protocol used in this study.;The findings revealed that only half of the participants recalled stress management training in the police academy. Half of the participants also disclosed they found talking to someone about their work-related stress was the most effective way of coping.;Over three-fourths of participants recommended psychological services for new police recruits. All of the participants suggested the need for an ongoing reminder of psychological services available from their police department.;More research is needed to determine the effectiveness of the coping skills training provided to law enforcement officers.