Page 15 - TPA Journal November December 2014

lasting negative effects on police officers, in their respective agencies. Simply stated, the
police supervisors, and police agencies. To research question to be examined simply
counter these negative effects, positive focuses on whether or not burnout is the
influences such as setting new priorities, responsibility of the individual or the
delineating quality family time, establishing a organization, and the intended method of
healthy diet and exercise regimen, and inquiry includes: periodicals, journals, the
reducing unnecessary stress, should help to internet, a blind survey of spouses of law
minimize or eliminate the damaging effects of enforcement officers, and a seminar
burnout. addressing causation of burnout conducted at
Organizations should offer training in the Texas Department of Public Safety Training
recognizing the symptoms of burnout for Academy.
employees and supervisors, thus providing a Through research findings, this author
vitally important proactive remedy. Although intends to support that burnout is ultimately
organizations play a vital role in employee the responsibility of the individual; it is a “self-
well-being, the ultimate responsibility for inflicted attitudinal injury” that most often
recognizing and managing burnout resides occurs when demand exceeds resources
within each individual officer. (Scoville, 2006, p. 24). Although agencies
have a responsibility to properly train
INTRODUCTION supervisory personnel to effectively handle
issues that often lead to burnout, individuals
It is important to recognize if burnout is the must maintain full liability for their actions,
responsibility of the individual or the both on and off the job. Many qualified and
organization. Positive and negative dedicated personnel are affected by burnout
dispositions or patterned responses and their situations, usually without realizing such
application in both the work and personal situations exist. By helping the law
environments often illustrate the position of the enforcement community realize the critical
individual as having the most culpability in the importance of identifying and addressing
big picture of burnout. In terms of burnout burnout at any level, the loss of personnel due
and the relevance to law enforcement, the to this situation could be greatly reduced or
individual in question is impacted both eliminated.
professionally and personally. Negative side
effects of burnout can include health REVIEW OF LITERATURE
problems, loss of work, mental diversion, loss
of focus and motivation, detachment, and, in Perhaps the most accepted definition of
the case of supervisors, an apathetic burnout comes from Christina Maslach, best
managerial impact on subordinates. known as one of the pioneering researchers on
By defining burnout, identifying the job burnout and the author of the Maslach
causative factors and nature of burnout, Burnout Inventory (MBI), who states that
clarifying the resulting dispositions, and then “burnout is a crisis in one’s relationship with
presenting suggestions for overcoming work, which might vary from engagement to
burnout, law enforcement officers and burnout” (Martinussen, Richardsen, & Burke,
managerial staff can more easily work to 2007, p. 239). While engagement is seen as
prevent and/or treat existing burnout situations an energetic state, full of confidence and

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