It is also very important to ensure that there are necessary safety precautions taken to protect officers given the substantial risks of the job. "Between 39 and 55% of officers have been victims of work-related violence or threats, according to surveys conducted in four States…Offenders sentenced to probation and released on parole commit more serious crimes than in the past, and more offenders have serious drug abuse histories and show less hesitation in using violence" (Gonzales 2005: 1)
htm#tab-2 Working Conditions Notwithstanding the foregoing considerations, the probation officer profession is not for everyone, including some candidates who initially set their career goals on becoming a probation officer. In this regard, one college student emphasized that, "Originally I went to school and interned to become a probation officer for juveniles, and realized that I would not long be happy with a career with so many impossible situations" (Buron, 2009, p
2). Although the responsibilities assigned to probation officers will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, the above-listed tasks are consistent with those responsibilities that are described in the relevant literature (Weisburd, Waring and Chayet, 2001)
Because probation officers are all different from one another, what bothers one may not bother another. However, there are standard stressors that have the opportunity to affect all probation officers, and how strongly each one is affected by these stressors will correlate to that officer's personality and the way in which the stressor was presented, along with how many stressors are given to that officer (Aguirre, 2007)
Defining the Problem Stress is the problem and, more specifically, the various stressors that are most commonly seen by probations officers. These include primarily mental and emotional stress, as physical stress is not generally a component of the job (Barrick, 2004; O'Donnell, 2001)
One of the reasons for that problem comes from the lack of reporting of stress and mental health issues that is done by probation officers (Aguirre, 2007; O'Donnell, 2001; Sauvagnat, 2011). There have been differences in reporting between male and female probation officers (Cochran, 1976)
Populations The population of probation officers affected by stressors include males and females, as well as officers of numerous races (Aguirre, 2007; Barrick, 2004). There is no focus on a particular group within the segment of the population who work as probation officers, because they are all susceptible to dealing with (and struggling with) stressors that can come from the job they do and the people with which they must work on a daily basis (Friedman, 1993; Fuller, 2005; Goldsmith, 1988; Hoge, 2012)
When it comes to the communities in which these probation officers live and society as a whole, suspicious feelings can keep a probation officer somewhat removed from others (Hoge, 2012). Understanding that these feelings come with stress, and finding healthy ways to deal with the feelings, can help not only the officer, but his or her family, friends, and the surrounding community (Fuller, 2005; O'Donnell, 2001; Sauvagnat, 2011) Etiology Various theories are available as to the stressors that plague probation officers and why the problem seems to be coming to light more now
Many people who are on probation violate that probation and are re-arrested, but that is not the case with every person, and some complete their probation and move on. The officers, however, simply work with the probationers to which they have been assigned, and these individuals can be on probation for a number of things (Hoge, 2012)
Because of that, accurate numbers of how many probation officers struggle with stress-related issues may never be something that will generally be available. The goal then becomes to focus on those who do report them, in order to provide the necessary help and support (O'Donnell, 2001)
Stresses on Probation Officers Stress is a serious topic for those in the criminal justice field, and that is true even in areas where it might not seem as significant. For example, there are many stresses placed on probation officers, and they often have to deal with issues and problems that would not necessarily be seen by others in the criminal justice profession (Sauvagnat, 2011)
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