106 4 Police and Law Enforcement—Family ForensicsEmotional hardening is a personality characteristic commonly found among
many police officers. It is a protective maneuver that may be successful at work,
but disastrous in terms of maintaining the intimacy necessary within a family
(Kannady, 1993). Numerous authors have documented the tendency of peace of-
ficers to demonstrate emotional detachment, emotional blunting, or emotional
repression in response to the environment in which they work (White &
Honig, 1995). As a result of this personality characteristic, there is an incon-
gruence between job-related activities and real human emotions. This leads to
interpersonal problems within the family environment, such as a lack of inti-
macy between the spouse and the officer. The officer may appear to be dis-
tant, withdrawn, noncommunicative, and nonempathetic to the needs of family
members.
The occupation of police work fosters a particular culture as well as a partic-
ular outlook on the world. This worldview not only develops within the officer,
but is also brought home, where it influences the family's perception of reality
(Kannady, 1993). The family's understanding of reality, based on the officer's ac-
count, is somewhat distorted. They begin to perceive the world as threatening,
dangerous, and view others as being untrustworthy. The officer and spouse may
become overly protective of each other as well as of their children.
Authoritarianism is a fundamental aspect of the police occupation. The offi-
cer must function according to a preset list of legal and organizational guidelines
(Dietrich, 1989). It is common for the officer to experience stress related to this
aspect merely because they oftentimes feel that they lack the control over decisions
that affect their work and their lives. This can have a negative effect on family mem-
bers in the event that the officer overcompensates at home for his or her perceived
lack of control at work.
Many times the officer can be rigid or overly demanding of his or her spouse
and children. In a study conducted in 1990, rigid, authoritarian peace officer
parents were regarded as being unapproachable and "nonhuggable" (Southworth,
1990). As a result of this perception, children of peace officers were more
likely to become rebellious adolescents as well as to have more emotional prob-
lems.
Danger Preparation is the realization that an officer is risking his or her life when
on duty. This realization invariably affects the family members, resulting in anxiety
and psychological stress. Threats to an officer's safety can create emotional fatigue
for a spouse (Arrigo & Garsky, 1997).
A majority of the research regarding the relationship between police stress and
the impact on the family is dated. Despite this fact, much of the research focuses on
issues such as domestic violence and divorce within law enforcement families as well
as on a lack of unity and trust between the child—parent relationship. Displacement
of anger, decreased communication and conflict-management skills, alienation and
withdrawal, and decreased trust all serve to create an environment that can place a