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The sociopathic police personality: Explain in product of rotten apple and rotten barrel.
Typology: Study notes
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Incidents involving police use of excessive force are witnessed across the country
following:
accident,
convicted of his murder,
beaten by Chicago, police. He died from asphyxiation, left for dead in his own blood,
January, 1999
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, Volume 14. Number 1
behavior through their genotype. This means that they are born with a predisposition towards this behavior, Secondary sociopaths refer to those who become antisocial because of environmental factors (Mealey, 1995). External factors such as police
that antisocial or deviant behavior is the most appropriate and most beneficial approach to their role as a police officer. The environment in which police officers work offers unlimited opportunities for corruption and deceit, and these environmental factors may lead to sociopathic behavior. With little or no supervision on the streets, each officer must
The term sociopath was introduced in 1930 to describe individuals who had a
age 15 years" (Schneiderman, 1996, p_ 54) and can be identified through a combination of three or more of the following:
Unfortunately, police use of excessive force and involvement in other deviant behavior
question here is the problem due to a few "rotten apples" in policing, or are these acts of
incapable of weeding out unsuitable applicants as many have claimed (Neal, 1986; Shaw,
Barker, 1978; Barker, 1976; Barker & Roebuck, 1973; Kuykendall, 1971). The focus of
new recruits.
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, Volume 14, Number 1
Reming (1988) studied the personality characteristics of habitual criminals and
job of police officer, according to the "Rotten Apple» theory, unsuitable applicants still
does the barrel cause the apple to become rotten?"
Work Environment Preference Schedule
Strong CampbeU Interest Inventory Szondi Test Thematic Apperception Test Thurston Temperament Schedule Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Wide Range Achievement Test
House ..Tree-PersoD Test Kuder Preference Record - Personal Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Nelson-Denny Reading Test Police Aptitude Test Police Opinion Test Quick Test Role Preferences Sentence Completion Test SPY Scale
Forced Role Decisions Gordon Personal Profile
Cattell Intelligence Test Culture Fair Intelligence Test Drawings Personality Test Eysenck Personality Inventory Fear Index: Gross/Fine Motor Coord.
Adams- Tepley Personnel Audit
Bender -Gestalt Test
Neiderhoffer Cynicism Scale
Police Information Questionnaire Test Psychiatric Interview Rokeacb Preference Record Rorschach Test Skills and Attributes Inventory State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Strong Vocational Interest Blank Taylor-Johnson Profile Analysis Thorndike Aptitude Test Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Wechsler-Bellvue Test
The list of psychological tests used to test the suitability of applicants for the job of
police officers are as follows:
California Psychological Inventory Cornell Word Form - 2 Draw-a-Person Test Edwards Personal Preference Schedule
Goals & Ambitions Survey Guilford-Zimmerman Interest Inventory Inwald Personality Inventory
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, Volume 14. Number 1
Comparable to the sociopathic, antisocial personality is the authoritarian personality. This police personality has been characterized as "conservative, aggressive, cynical and
"submissive to superiors but are intolerant toward those who do not submit to their own
THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALfIY
This code of silence is also strengthened by the considerable emotions that come with police work. Police officers are trained to be suspicious of everything around them. An officer who is not suspicious may overlook a criminal act which may lead to injury or
goodness (Balch, 1972). Balch also found that 73% of the police officers interviewed
unfavorable light as wen. It is these beliefs that police officers use to justify their behavior toward the public.
The level to which these activities occur is not. known fOT several reasons, the major
when the public sees a police officer engaging in misconduct, they do not report it believing that those to whom they would make the report would be a part of the same police brotherhood. The public is aware of the police "The Blue Curtain" but are
type of officer was New York City Transit Police Officer Peter Marsala. Marsala was known as a hero and had been cited for bravery 12 times while he was on the job. During his career, he pulled nearly 20 people from between subway cars and saved 12 people from a burning building (Skolnick & Fyfe, 1993). He was a hero to all until he assaulted a passenger for violating the anti-smoking regulation of the subway. Marsala was sentenced
police officers responded to stimuli in a manner similar to those of habitual criminals. Based on these results, the characteristics of "supercops" were similar and perhaps even
uniqueness, extroversion, sociability, jealousy, possessiveness of sexual partner, tendency not to change opinion easily, philandering and a tendency to avoid blame (p. 166).
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, Volume 14, Number 1
Early intervention is crucial for officers showing signs of stress, anxiety, depression or any other negative behavior. While there is no way of eliminating stress from the lives of police officers, steps can be taken to recognize and reduce stress. Before police applicants
some agreement that pre-employment psychological testing has been shown to screen out some applicants for the policing occupation. Additional emphasis on the post-hire psychological testing may well serve to detect those officers who either failed to be screen out by pre-employment testing or those who have become psychologically impaired by the day-to-day stress that is so much a part of policing. Also, those who are hired should receive stress management training in addition to learning policing techniques. Previous
In order to deal with the people and situations with which they come in contact, police officers learn to suppress their emotions. In many cases, stress is known to lead to depression and suicide. In a 1950 study on occupational suicide, police were found to have the second highest rate of suicide (Territo & Vettee> 1981). Research has also shown that three-fourths of all heart attacks suffered by police officers are due to job-related stress (Territo & Vetter, ]981). Stress is also known to lead to alcoholism and broken
officers suffering from alcoholism run into further complications. Some of these include:
officer's regular day off; complaints of insubordination by supervisors;
abuse; intoxication during regular working hours; involvement in traffic accidents while under the influence of alcohol on and off duty; and reduced
In addition to the code of silence, there are numerous other on-the-job pressures that affect a police officer. Their routine involves unusual working hours, scattered weekends, excessive overtime. court appearances, and the constant presence of a gun (Territo &
emotionally charged situations every day. The stress can become overwhelming.
disorderly conduct, and complaints of sexual harassment by two other women. This case demonstrates not only the existing problem of police misconduct, but of administrative cover-ups previously mentioned. Indeed, the "The Blue Curtain" was maintained by every level of the police department including the chief of police himself
Bruce with implementing "a policy of avoiding, ignoring, and covering up complaints of physical and sexual abuse by Luckie and other officers" (p. 358).
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, Volume 14, Nwnber 1
Recognizing the signs of job stress, proper supervision, the breaking down of the blue wall of silence, educating officers and working closely with the public are positive steps. But beyond that, police officers must have a genuine desire to change, and seek the
Police departments should provide ongoing education for their officers with regard to social and moral problems as they impact policing. Police supervisors must be more alert to the warning signs and work closely with their subordinates in order that they might detect any behavioral changes Dr problems before they manifest themselves as deviant behavior. Lax supervision is one of the main problems concerning police criminal
change in policing. Many of the situations involving police misconduct could be avoided if preper supervision was implemented and practiced.
However, eliminating individuals with sociopathic tendencies, offering programs to reduce stress and encouraging alcoholic police officers to seek help is only the beginning.
acts is undetermined. Yet, the longer these officers are allowed to continue their deviant
recognizes the need for help, and those around the officer are sympathetic to what s/he is
stress, job performance will increase as well as the officer's well-being, and this has the potential to translate into mere positive police/citizen contact.
As previously mentioned, stress is one of the primary factDrs leading te marital issues,
services to aid officers with alcohol dependence or psychological problems. Many police officers de net feel comfortable speaking of personal issues with strangers, but an in-house program would be effective providing the problem is discovered and addressed in a timely fashion.
the warning signs of alcoholism and the effects alcohol has on an individual's personality. Some of the most prevalent warning signs of alcoholism, as described by the Psychological
increased sick time, erratic work habits, excessive worrying, fatigue and sexual
community.
examples have shown that police abuse of authority, corruption, and brutality are not caused by lack of police training) but a lack of emotional well-being and stability.
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, Volume 14,Nwnber 1
Slovak, J. S. (1983). Violence in the City: Empirical Bases for a Collective Wo.rking Image. Journal ofCriminal Justice, J 1,301-315. Spielberger, C. D. Ward, 1. C. & Spaulding, H. c. (1979). A Model for the Selection of Law Enforcement Officers. In C. D. Spielberger (Ed), Police Selection and Evaluation: issues and Techniques (pp. 11- 29). Washington, DC: Hemisphere. Territo. L. & Vetter. H. (1981). Stress and Police Personnel. Journal o/Po/ice Science and Administration. 9. 195-207. Van Laere, E. &. Geerts, R. (1984). Law Enforcers or Law Evaders: Deviant Behavior in the Amsterdam Pohce. Police Studies, 7, 200·208. Wrobleski, H. M. & Hess. K. M. (1993). introduction to Low Enforcement and Criminal Justice. St. Paul, MN: West Publishing.
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, Volume 14, Number 1