OCCUPATIONAL STRESS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN PROTECTION DESK (WCPD) POLICE OFFICERS IN RELATION TO JOB PERFORMANCE

Policing is often considered a male-dominated profession characterized by hard and unpredictable work environments—demanding long hours, surprise deployments, and exposure to high-risk scenarios. Policewomen, particularly those assigned to the Women and Children Protection Desks (WCPD), often endure heightened occupational stress due to the dual load of professional tasks and traditional family roles. This study studied the amount of occupational stress experienced by WCPD officers in Pagadian City and its link to their job performance. Utilizing a descriptive-correlational quantitative research approach, the study involved 49 respondents from various municipal police stations in Zamboanga del Sur. Data were examined using frequency distribution, percentage, weighted mean, t-test, and Pearson r correlation. Findings revealed substantial disparities in occupational stress levels based on respondents’ position and educational qualifications. Among performance indicators, personal attributes obtained the highest average rating of 4.20 (interpreted as very excellent). Moreover, rank was found to have a statistically significant influence on work performance. The study further confirmed that organizational and operational stressors significantly correlate with the job performance of WCPD officers. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to address occupational stress among female police officers, especially those balancing frontline duties and protective services for women and children. Keywords: WCPD police officers, occupational stress, job performance, organizational stressors, operational stressors, gender roles in policing