ATT ARBETA MED KÄNSLOÄRENDEN - En intervjustudie om motståndskraft i utredningspolisers vardag

Abstract

Aims and objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate how resilience can be enhanced in police investigators of emotional cases by factors on three different levels: Organization, group and individual. Review of previous research has revealed that resilience is important on all of these levels for emotion workers. However, a great part of the research has focused on other professions than police investigators. Furthermore, the research on Swedish condition is limited. My contribution is to fill the research gap on resilience factors among Swedish police investigators, and by doing that also make a contribution to the criminological field. Method and data: Six interviews with Swedish police investigators of domestic violence and crimes against children where carried out. The investigators where allocated in police area Fyrbodal in the county Västra Götaland. The interviews were of semi-structured character, which gave the participants considerable freedom to develop their answers. An interview guide where also created to capture resilience factors on organisational, group and individual level. Length of the interviews was between one and half hour. To strengthen validity the participants were given the opportunity to comment on the edited quotes and how they were contextualized in the analysis. Results: Resilience factors have been highlighted on all of the three studied levels. Factors that contribute to resilience on organizational level are enhancing the status of this police investigators work, managerial aspects that promote recovery and supervision. The working group is emphasized as vital. Trust and confidence to each other in the group is essential to process emotional strains. At the individual level the police investigators are protected by being objective and not to be emotionally involved. However investigative police work requires a certain emotional attachment, which requires one to balance the emotional exercise. These results are in line with other studies on resilience in other contexts, which should strengthen this study validity.