Moral injury in law enforcement

Abstract Avoid in the literature exists regarding moral injury and police work. Although knowledge gained from the study of moral injury in the military can help to better understand the experience of police officers, police moral injury differs in nature from that of the military, thus caution is needed when translating knowledge from military to police. Police officers are exposed to various types of traumatic experiences over the course of their careers and experience traumatic events unique to police. In addition to operational stressors, the risk for moral injury can be compounded by organizational stressors. Moral injury is a significant mental health issue. It can shatter an individual's core belief system and lead to feelings of failure, self-blame, guilt, shame and rumination, in turn to lasting emotional and psychological impact. The symptoms related to moral injury can also contribute to maintenance and/or exacerbation of psychological disorders related to Operational Stress Injuries. This chapter provides an opportunity to contrast as well as translate knowledge from military to police moral injury, the operational and organizational stressors related to moral injury, the resulting impact on police health and work and provides guidance to reduce the risk and the harmful impact of moral injury.