Exam 2.4

Question 1

What is culture?

Answer 1

Set of assumptions, beliefs, expectations, and philosophies that influence a professional’s interactions, performance, and role

Question 2

What is police subculture?

Answer 2

• Shared values and attitudes within the occupational/organizational environment of policing
• Set of informal norms
• Largely based on tradition; passed on through generations
• Greatly influences police behavior and perception of the public

Question 3

What is police cynicism?

Answer 3

Attitude of contempt and distrust of human behavior and motives formed by police as a result of negative encounters

Question 4

What is the Code of Silence?

Answer 4

Protective, supportive, and shared attitudes, values, understandings, and world views associated with the police society
* “Blue Wall”

Question 5

What are the contributing factors of social isolation among police?

Answer 5

Danger, Authority, and Performance

Question 6

How is danger a contributing factor of police social isolation?

Answer 6

• Rate of injury is 3x higher than any other occupation
• 2003-2014 approx. 700,000 U.S. officers were treated in U.S. emergency rooms for non-fatal injuries

Question 7

How is authority a contributing factor of police social isolation?

Answer 7

• Officers are told they have specific authority to intervene in situations
• Citizens resent police intervention
• Citizens that are treated suspiciously may react dangerously

Question 8

How is performance a contributing factor of police social isolation?

Answer 8

• Promotions depend on efficiency
• Police subculture has developed its own standards and resists raising those standards

Question 9

What is a rate-buster?

Answer 9

An officer whose performance exceeds the performance standards in police subculture

Question 10

What are common sources of stress for police officers’ spouses?

Answer 10

• Shift work and overtime
• Concern over spouse’s cynicism/need for control at home
• Inability/unwillingness to express feelings
• Fear that spouse will be hurt/killed
• Spouses’ high expectations of their children
• Mistreatment by children’s peers because of parent’s occupation
• Presence of weapons in residence
• That spouse prefers to spend time with other officers than with family
• Spousal paranoia and overprotectiveness
• Problems helping spouse cope with work-related issues
• Critical incidents/injury or death on the job

Question 11

What are the top 5 traumatic events for police officers?

Answer 11

• Child abuse
• Killing of an innocent person
• Conflict with regulations
• Domestic violence calls
• Hurting a fellow officer