The Impacts of Policing on Police Officers’ Quality of Life

Policing is a demanding and stressful job with irregular shifts and constant exposure to traumatic situations, and the result is that police officers are faced with a host of challenges related to their daily work and lives. The challenges faced by police officers are multidimensional, encompassing issues such as job dissatisfaction, mental health issues, work-life balance, lack of resources, and strained relationships with the community and family members. This paper introduces a special issue of the American Behavioral Scientist, with particular focus on the impact of policing on police officers’ quality of life. Instructively, available literature suggests that policing impacts on police officers’ quality of life is not specific to any one geographic locale, hence the author’s preference for the title of the special issue: “A Cross-Continental Gaze at the Impacts of Policing on Police Officers’ Quality of Life.” The articles in this special issue provide empirical insights that are essential for enhanced understandings of the determinants and impacts of policing on police officers’ quality of life, provide a conceptual framework for future research, highlight recommendations for improved policing, and contribute to the growing scholarship on the impact of policing on the well-being of police officers globally.