Predicting three dimensions of police officer stress: does rural or urban setting matter?

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the disparities in stress between rural and urban police officers in China.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for this study were collected from a national police university in China in 2017. In total, 608 Chinese police officers were surveyed representing those attending in-service training program in the university.

Findings

Results showed that rural police officers exhibited a higher level of somatization compared to their urban counterparts, whereas no rural–urban differences were detected for other stress dimensions – anxiety and depression. Additionally, this study suggests that perceived constraints in resources and training partially mediate the observed rural–urban disparities in somatization.

Research limitations/implications

This study is based on a convenient sample of Chinese police officers, which restricts the generalizability of the results.

Practical implications

To reduce stress among police officers, China needs to make more investments in resources and training programs in its rural policing.

Originality/value

A review of literature reveals that studies comparing police stress between rural and urban areas are rare. Additionally, China, as the largest developing nation in the world, remains under-studied with respect to stress among its police officers.

Citation

Wu, G. and Wen, M. (2020), "Predicting three dimensions of police officer stress: does rural or urban setting matter?", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 43 No. 3, pp. 435-449. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-03-2019-0042