This weeks discussion focuses on the police officers family and the area of officers who work in the area of child exploitation.? Coming from someone with experience in the area, child exploi

The response must be a minimum of 150 words and a minimum of 2 references.

Textbook-Territo, L., & Sewell, J.D. (2019). Stress management in law enforcement (4th ed.). Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press. ISBN: 9781531015756.

***CHRISTOPHER***

This week’s discussion focuses on the police officer’s family and the area of officers who work in the area of child exploitation.  Coming from someone with experience in the area, child exploitation is a rough section to work on, especially over the long term.  I worked on these cases and conducted polygraphs on the suspects to determine if they were hands-on offenders at some point in their life.  This is much negative involvement in cases that can take a toll on an individual; thus, my time in the unit was short-lived.  As Territo and Sewell (2019) discuss, constant stress on the job leads to depression.  Though I never allowed it to get to that point, combining everything was difficult.  Thankfully, the Bible tells us we have strength in someone who can help us get through things.  Scripture says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (King James Bible, 1769/2021, Isaiah 41:10).

Elements that can affect the officers when working on child exploitation cases can be having children themselves.  As Territo and Sewell (2017) tell us, vicarious trauma becomes a major issue for individuals who work in these cases.  This can affect the way they parent their children and can prevent them from trusting individuals such as coaches, teachers, and other adult figures in the child’s life.  Preventing individuals from being a part of the child’s life can prevent needed development in areas such as leadership skills that can be established early on by observing coaches, teachers, etc.  One cannot fault a parent who works in child exploitation cases as they would directly understand the concerns associated with trusting individuals they do not know. 

Even though someone may be able to handle the work they are given, that does not mean they will not have rough days.  When those rough days occur, families can suffer alongside their spouses.  Campbell et al. (2022) say spouses suffer from the same traumatic stress as their spouses and should be involved in resilient programs to help deal with situations as they arise within the family.  It is also essential not to forget the children of the families since children can suffer from things that occur to the family.  The author continues by discussing how family therapy can assist everyone in the family and should not be limited to just adults. 

References

Campbell, A. R., Landers, A. L., & Jackson, J. B. (2022). I have to hold it together: Trauma in law enforcement couples. Family Relations, 71(4), 1593-1618. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12661Links to an external site.

King James Bible.  (2017).  King James Bible Online.  https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/(Original work published 1769).

Territo, L. & Sewell, J.D. (2019). Stress Management in Law Enforcement. Durham: Carolina Academic Press