The impact of psychological profiling of Australian correctional officers.
Corrections Compendium › Vol. 32 Nbr. 4, July 2007
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The impact of psychological profiling of Australian correctional officers.
Correctional work is a highly stressful occupation that can impact the health of correctional officers (Casey, Dollard and Winefield, 2001). Health has a direct connection to the use of sick leave and stress claims, both of which are costly and can have a significant impact on the efficiency of an institution and the safety of officers and inmates. Hiring the right staff is crucial, as the cost of hiring the wrong person includes increased stress and sick leave. However, a poor hiring decision has other risks, too, such as low team morale; threats to safety of self, teammates and inmates; increased stress on managers; and risk of negative publicity.
Coping with stress is an important quality in a correctional officer, but not everyone copes with stress in the same way. What can be very stressful for one person may be only a minor annoyance for another. Experience shows that some people are more psychologically suited to correctional work than others. Equally important is that some applicants are attracted to the role to satisfy pathological psychological needs. Pre-employment psychological testing has become sophisticated during the past decade, and research has shown the tests to be reliable and valid predictors of many facets of job ...See the full content of this document
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