Behavioral diagnostics of aggressive behavior of National police officers by psychological training measures

Abstract

The results of the empirical research of aggressive behavior of the officers of the National Police have been presented. The objective of the research was to substantiate the psychological training as a method of psychological diagnosis of behavioral aggressiveness of police officers.
In total, empirical studies covered 138 police officers aged 24-35 from different regions of Ukraine, where there were 57 women and 81 men who passed advanced training courses at Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs.
To determine the testometric aggressiveness of the subjects, the authors have used two standardized questionnaires for the diagnosis of aggressiveness (P. Kovalov - Ye. Ilina and L. Pocheubut) and the projective method “Test of a hand” by E. Wagner. The authors have distinguished the indicators of testometric aggression of the officers of the National Police of different gender; have conducted their comparative analysis. It has been found out that police officers in general are characterized by a low level of personal and behavioral aggression. It has been found out that male police officers have a significantly higher level of physical aggression than females. Women, in turn, are more vulnerable to manifestations of verbal aggression than men. Analysis of the projective methodology for the diagnosis of aggression confirms the results of the questionnaires about the general low level of aggressiveness of police officers. It has been determined that police officers, regardless of gender, have intrinsic insensitivity to the influence of society, low sensitivity to the opinion of others, the reluctance to build symmetrical relations, which in the end points to an aggressive orientation within interpersonal interaction.
The standardization of psychological training exercise “Chair” has been carried out in accordance with the scales reflecting strategies of denial, replacement, assistance seeking, aggression, regression and cooperation. The authors have carried out the assessment of the expressiveness of behavior according to the mentioned strategies at three levels: low, medium and high. It has been clarified that the use of aggressive and regressive behavior strategies and assistance seeking are the most typical for police officers.
Comparison of the indicators of testometric and behavioral aggressiveness of the officers of the National Police has been conducted. It has been found out that none of the testometric indicators of aggression of police officers increases linearly in the case of comparison between the groups selected by the level of behavioral aggression. It points to the fact that the real behavioral aggressiveness is a polyderterministic, multifactorial phenomenon. The authors have determined two indicators of testometric aggressiveness of police officers, which differ in polar according to behavioral aggressiveness of groups – they are verbal and substantive aggression. Thus, these types of aggression serve as empirically verified testometric indicators of behavioral aggressiveness and can be used for its evaluation in the process of professional and psychological selection of candidates for service in police and in the psychological support of police officers.
On the basis of the conducted research, the authors have concluded about the fundamental possibility of using psychological training as a mean of psychological diagnosis of aggressive behavior of police officers.