Pull and Push: The Effect of Social Support and Professional Resilience on the Relationship Between Correctional Officers’ Cynicism and Service Impact

• Published date: 01 December 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X221139067
• Author: Yean Wang,Shuge Xu,Xinyi Zhang
• Date: 01 December 2023
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X221139067

International Journal of

Offender Therapy and

Comparative Criminology

2023, Vol. 67(16) 1659 –1680

© The Author(s) 2022

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DOI: 10.1177/0306624X221139067

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Article

Pull and Push: The Effect

of Social Support and

Professional Resilience on

the Relationship Between

Correctional Officers’

Cynicism and Service Impact

Yean Wang1, Shuge Xu1, and Xinyi Zhang2

Abstract

This research examines the protective influences of social support and professional

resilience to probation officers’ cynicism and service impact simultaneously. Data on

psychological characteristics of a sample of 382 forensic social workers in Chinese

legal systems were collected. Confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation

modeling, and multiple-group analyses were used in a three-step analysis process to

test our research model. Results identified that cynicism was negatively associated

with probation officers’ service impact, ascertained that social support functioned

as an extrinsic pull mediating the relationship between probation officers’ cynicism

and service impact, and determined that professional resilience served as an intrinsic

push moderating the impact of cynicism and social support on service impact,

respectively. This research proposed a push and pull mechanism by which probation

officers’ service impact is increased and their work pressure is alleviated, providing

tentative recommendations for the alleviation of probation officers’ job pressure and

improvement of their service impact.

Keywords

probation officers, professional resilience, social support, cynicism, job stress

1Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

2Jianghan University, Wuhan, China

Corresponding Author:

Xinyi Zhang, Lecturer, Department of Sociology, Law School, Jianghan University, J02 Faculty Building,

Wuhan 430056, China.

Email: 770468292@qq.com

1139067IJOXXX10.1177/0306624X221139067International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative CriminologyWang et al.

research-article2022

1660 International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 67(16)

Introduction

Probation officers play a pivotal role not only in modern criminal justice systems of

developed countries, but also of the developing societies including China (Jiang et al.,

2016; Robinson, 2020; Ruhland, 2020). Officers have an obligation to protect public

safety, restore victims and oversee prisoners through a community-based corrections

(Boateng & Hsieh, 2019; Schaefer & Williamson, 2018). Facing increasing crime, a

large number of offenders in custody, overcrowded prisons, and increasing offenders

reentering the society, the Chinese government officially adopted community correc-

tion in 2003 (Jiang et al., 2016). Most of the local Chinese probation officers are social

workers, who were expected to conduct counseling meeting with offenders, profes-

sional contacts, and community resources to assist offenders in tacking their problems

(Jin et al., 2018). However, due to the demanding and inherently stressful characteris-

tics of probation work, workplace stress has long been recognized as a common occu-

pational hazard among probation officers (Gayman & Bradley, 2013; Klinoff et al.,

2018; Lewis et al., 2013). Heavy job stress among probation officers can lead to cyni-

cism (Hu et al., 2015). Meanwhile, both cynicism and work pressure can result in

employees with declined service quality and performance (Hu et al., 2015; Jin et al.,

2018). Professional resilience and social support buffer the detrimental impacts of cyni-

cism and workplace pressure (Eley et al., 2018). (R1-#1; R1-#3)

While still under-researched, social support and professional resilience of proba-

tion and parole officers have been the subject of several studies. A main line of inquiry

focuses on the buffering capacity of professional resilience (Klinoff et al., 2018; Sollie

et al., 2017; Vogelvang et al., 2014). In these researches, strategies that aim at improv-

ing the resilience of occupational groups to alleviate their remarkable pressure are

examined. However, research that considers the relationship between professional

resilience with cynicism, service impact, and social support among probation officers

is limited. The second vein of investigation assesses the protective influences of social

support (Chiaburu et al., 2013; Lambert et al., 2010). These studies propose that

increased social support helps to reduce the degree of cynicism burnout and stress

(Lambert et al., 2010; Patterson, 2003). However, most of the current research mainly

includes the protective role of social support, neglecting its influence on probation

officers’ service impact. To address these inadequacies in the probation officer litera-

ture, research about social support and professional resilience, as well as their linkages

between service impact and cynicism, are worthy of study.

The purpose of this research is to identify the mechanism by which professional

resilience and social support improve probation officers’ service impact. Distinct from

previous reports, the contributions of this study are threefold. First, in order to advance

the understanding of social support, this research reveals the mediating role and pull

mechanism of social support. Second, our study reveals the moderating role and push

mechanism of professional resilience. Finally, we propose an unprecedented push and

pull mechanism. The mechanism indicates that social support would pull cynical pro-

bation officers away from poor service impact. In addition, professional resilience

would push probation officers who receive more social support toward good service