Course Details

Course TitleSPCP 2023 - Session 15: LE Policy, Politics & Law - Moral Injury in American Law Enforcement: Patrol and Beyond
Date 9/22/2023
ProviderSociety for Police and Criminal Psychology Annual Conference
Phone 
Emailbrewstja@jmu.edu
Website https://www.policepsychology.org/conference
LocationArlington, TX
Credit Hours0.25
Instructor(s)Boston D. Ross, Ed.D.
Method of InstructionWorkshop/Seminar
Approving AgencyAPA
Course Syllabus

Course Description

The concepts of moral injury and PTSD are inherently entwined, however, they differ in their development, causation, and the degree to which they have been clinically and professionally identified and accepted. Within the framework of the current focus on police mental health and wellness, examining moral injury, as existing in American law enforcement officers, and understanding moral injury, in general and specifically related to law enforcement officers, serves as a viable first step in laying the foundation for future research and for presenting a better understanding of the existence of moral injury in American law enforcement and the potential characteristics thereof. The instant presentation presents information, knowledge, and data, contributing to knowledge of the prevalence of moral injury in American law enforcement officers and how specific variables (such as years of service, position, rank, religious affiliation, etc.) may have an effect on the existence of moral injury in the law enforcement population. Furthermore, in presenting not only the theoretical/conceptual basis for moral injury and the development thereof, whilst also proffering the prevalence and characteristics of moral injury in law enforcement officers, the instant presentation proffers the findings of a first of its kind study which empirically examined moral injury from a variety of angles specifically related to law enforcement. A better understanding of both the nature and existence of moral injury in law enforcement, from a conceptual/theoretical and empirical perspective, allows for positive progress related to law enforcement mental health and wellness, impacting a variety of outcomes (including officer self-harm/suicide, job performance, use of force, etc.) and is applicable to a variety of roles within criminal justice and police psychology, including assessment methods, law enforcement operations and administration, mental health intervention, law enforcement training, etc.

Course Objectives