Research Article: 2021 Vol: 24 Issue: 1S
M.Maria Antony Raj, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education
K.M.Ashifa, Istanbul Gelisim University
Anar Aliyev, Istanbul Gelisim University
Alan Godfrey A, St.Jospeh’s College (Autonomous)
Women are advancing in the police department, but they still face many obstacles in their workplace and at home. Burnout is a term that refers to physical or mental tiredness brought on by excessive effort or stress. Additionally, it might be defined as a psychological disorder marked by fatigue, cynicism, and depersonalization. Burnout has long been viewed as the crisis and illness of contemporary society and life. The objectives of this study are to measure the level of occupational burnout of women police officers, to study the socio demographic details of the respondents, to find the asocial between occupational burnout and socio demographic details of the respondents, and to suggest appropriate measures to reduce burnout faced by women police. The researcher used descriptive design as research design in this project. The sample size taken for this study was 60 women police. The researcher used Stratified Random Sampling as sampling technique. Researcher used interview schedule for data collection. The major findings of the study is majority of the respondents are suffered from Burnout which is the combination of emotional exhaustion, feelings of depersonalization and perceived lack of accomplishment, work fatigue and working hard in job for promotions and broader life satisfaction. The results of the study have implications for programs and policies that seek to prevent stress and burnout among police women officers.
Women, Police, Occupational burnout, Emotional exhaustion, Stress.
“The role of women in India has been subjected to many changes over the past few decades. The impact of inequality is reflected in the status of women worldwide in general and in India in particular” (Ashifa, 2021). “Over a period of time, women engaged in various professions including police. Although women were entered into the Indian police as early as 1938, but their growth and development have been slow” (Raja, 2015). “For the most part, women were used as social workers rather than law enforcement officers, mainly dealing with matters concerning women and children. The strain for women in police is bound to be greater than in many other occupations. From the past few decades there would be increase in the number of women joining in Indian police Service” (Mohanraj, 2015). “While some states are lagging behind, others have been realized the importance of women in police and thus there has been quick rise in the number of women in these states. Women are advancing in the police department, but they still face many obstacles in their workplace and at home” (Demirda?, 2021). “Occupational burnout refers to physical or mental exhaustion caused by overwork or stress. It also can be described as a psychological syndrome characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and depersonalization. Occupational burnout has been regarded as the crisis and illness in modern society and life” (Bay?r, 2020). The present study are to measure the level of occupational burnout of women police officers, to study the socio demographic details of the respondents, to find the asocial between occupational burnout and socio demographic details of the respondents, and to suggest appropriate measures to reduce burnout faced by women police.
“Among the all countries in the world, India is one which is making efforts to involve more and more women in police. According to the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D)” (Bureau of Police Research and Development, 2017), “there were 7.28% women police in India. On the 2017, January 1, Telangana had just 2.47 percent women in the police force which has a sanctioned strength of 60,700 personnel, the data said. In Uttar Pradesh, highly populated state of our country, women police force of this state has only 3.81%. The percentage of women in police forces in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya was also low. While Tamil Nadu has the highest number of women police, other states of Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa was much better” (Matthews, 2011). “Among the Union territories, Chandigarh has the highest number of Women police. There are 479 number of women police stations in India”. In Tamil Nadu, number of women police stations are 196. In Virudhunagar district there are 8 taluks. The researcher only selects 3 taluks and the total population of three taluks is 243. Common police stations are 49, women police stations are 8 and traffic police stations are 8 in Virudhunagar district. Burnout is an experience of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion, caused by long-term involvement in situations that are emotionally demanding” (Mateen, 2009). “It is the index of dislocation between what people are and what they have to do. It represents thevalue of erosion, dignity, spirit and erosion of the human soul. It may manifest as depersonalization, low productivity, and feelings of low achievement” (Rukmini, 2015). “Emotional exhaustion is a condition that results from an excessive amount of stress. When suffering from this condition, which may also referred to as emotional depletion or burnout, a person tends to feel as if her inner resources have been drained” (Gerogina, 2013). “In most cases, a person can recover if he takes a vacation, get rest, or eliminates the cause of stress. If individual becomes overburdened with stress, there is a possibility that whose person will suffer from emotional depletion” (Ashifa, 2021). “This condition makes a individual feel as though she does not have the necessary emotional and physical resources to meet the demands in her life. Despite the name, the cause of this condition does not have the one that people tend to associate with emotional well-being although it can be possible causes include a demanding job, financial problems, or struggles within an intimate relationship” (Matthews, 2011).
The objectives of the study were to asses socio demographic details of the respondents, to measure the level of occupational burnout of women police officers, to find the asocial between occupational burnout and socio demographic details of the respondents and to suggest appropriate measures to reduce burnout faced by women police. This study explained about the level of occupational burnout among the women police. Hence the researcher used descriptive study. The target population of this research was Women police officers in Srivilliputhur, Rajapalayam and Sivakasi taluks of Virudhunagar district. The total population is 243 Women police officers in 3 taluks. The researcher used Stratified Random Sampling. In Virudhunagar district there are 6 taluks are there. Among the six taluks, there taluks have high number of women police officers. Hence the researcher considered these 3 taluks (Srivilliputhur, Sivakasi & Rajapalayam) as 3 strata. From these 3 strata, 20 samples were drawn using simple random sampling (lottery method). The sample size of this study was 60 women police officers. The researcher prepared self-itemized statements to study the socio demographic details of the respondent, and to measure the Burnout, Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) by Maslach (1981) was used.
This study explained about the level of occupational burnout among the women police. Hence the researcher used descriptive study.43% of the respondents completed their higher secondary school education, 26.7% of the respondents completed their High school and 23.3% of the respondents are graduated. Majority (88.3%) of the respondents are married and 11.7% of the respondents were unmarried. 55% of the respondents were living in a nuclear family system, and 45.0% of the respondent was living in joint family. More than half (66.7%) of the respondents were living in their own home, 33.3% of the respondents are living in police quarters. More than half (68.3%) of the respondents were from the urban area and 31.7 per cent of the respondents were from the rural area. 43.3% of respondents were designation at grade II level, 38.3 per cent of respondent have designation at grade I. Maximum age of the respondent was 47 years and minimum age of the respondent was 22 years and also average number of the respondent was 32 years. Maximum numbers of respondents have upto 4 children and minimum numbers of respondents have no children. Maximum numbers of respondent have experience upto 25 years and minimum number of respondents has experience upto 2 years. Maximum number of the respondents was working upto 8 hours and minimum number of the respondents was working upto 12 hours.
Nearly half (51.7%) of the respondents were feel emotionally drained from their work on few days in the month and (28.3%) of the respondents were feel emotionally drained from their work on weekly. It shows that majority of the respondents feel drained from their work due to emotional exhaustion such as stress in work life. More than half (56.7%) of the respondents are never feel that they are used up at the end of the work day, and (33.3%) of the respondents felt that same in every month. The half (41.7%) of the respondents were felt fatigue to face another day in every month, and (41.7%) of the respondents were felt fatigue to face another day for few days in a month. It found that the most of the respondents feel very tired due to their work.36.7% of the respondents were monthly once feel that working with people is being strained them, 23.3% of the respondents were few days in the month feel that working with people is being strained them, and 23.3% of the respondents were everyday feel that working with people is being strained them. It shows that maximum number of respondents felt that work with other people straining them. 33.3% of the respondents were few days in the month feel burn out from their work, 31.7% of the respondents were never feel burn out from their work, 28.3% of the respondents were monthly feel burn out from their work. It found that majority of the respondents feel burnout from their work weekly or monthly. 33.3% of the respondents were monthly once feel that frustrated on their job, 33.3% of the respondents were few days in a month feel that frustrated on their job, 30.0% of the respondents were weekly feel that frustrated on their job. According to the opinion of the respondents, majority of the respondents feel frustration due to their job monthly or weekly. 40.0% of the respondents were feel that they are working hard on their job on few days in the month, 33.3% of the respondents were never feel that they were working hard on their job, and 25.0% of the respondents were feel that they were working hard on their job on monthly. It shows that maximum numbers of respondents were working hard on their job for broader life satisfaction. 43.3% of the respondents were having stress on directly work with people on few days in the month, and the other half 43.3% of the respondents were having stress on directly work with people on monthly.
According to the opinion given by the respondents, they suffer stress working with other co-workers or difficult people.38.3% of the respondents were monthly feel like that they were at end of their rope, 31.7% of the respondents were feel like that they were at end of their rope few days in a month, 20.0% of the respondents were weekly feel like that they were at end of their rope. It found that maximum number of respondents that they feel end of their rope weekly or monthly. The half 48.3% of the respondents were everyday easily understood how their recipients about things, and 30.0% at weekly understood their recipient about things. It shows that maximum number of respondents have good understating ability. Above half 51.7% of the respondents were deal their recipients problem effectively on every day, 38.3 per cent of the respondents were deal the recipients problem effectively on weekly. It depicts that the respondents deal with their recipient’s problem effectively. The half 46.7% of the respondents were few days in a month positively influencing other people, and 25.0% of the respondents were positively influencing other people at weekly. It found that the majority of the respondents were positively influencing other people’s lives through their work. The half 41.7% of the respondents were feeling very energetic at work on weekly, and 40.0% of the respondents were feeling very energetic at work by every day. It represents that maximum number of respondents feel more energetic at their job. Above half 45.0% of the respondents were easily can create the relaxed atmosphere with their recipients by weekly, and 36.7% of the respondents were easily can create the relaxed atmosphere with their recipients by few days in a month. It shows that the respondents create positive relationships with their recipients and co-workers. Majority 40.0% of the respondents were feeling exhilarated after working at few days in the month, 30.0% of the respondents were feel exhilarated after working at weekly, 23.3% of the respondents were feel exhilarated after working by monthly. According to this opinion the most of the respondents feel exhilarated after working with other people. The half 41.7% of the respondents were accomplished many worthwhile things in their job at weekly, 40.0% of the respondents were accomplished many worthwhile things in their job at few days in the month. As per the opinion given by the respondents, the respondents accomplish many useful and worthwhile things in their job. Above half 51.7% of the respondent were deal the emotional problems very calmly at weekly, and 30.0 per cent of the respondent were deal the emotional problems very calmly few days in a month. So the most of the respondents learn to deal with their problems bravely and by keeping calm.36.7 % of the respondents were feeling recipients as impersonal objects at a few days in the month, 30.0% of the respondents were feeling recipients as impersonal objects in work at weekly, and 21.7% of the respondents were feeling recipients as impersonal objects in work at every day. This shows that many of the respondents treat their recipients as impersonal objects because of their stress, burnout and job dissatisfaction.
More than half 66.7% of the respondents were think that they were more callous toward people since took this job, and 21.7% of the respondents were think that they were more callous toward people since took this job at monthly. According to the opinion given by the respondents, they were suffered from depersonalization due to their job. Above half 45.0% of the respondents were few days in a month worry that job is hardening them emotionally, and 30.0% of the respondents were monthly once worry that job is hardening them emotionally. It shows that the respondents suffer from job stress due to over work. The half 50.0% of the respondents were everyday really don’t care about what happen to some recipients, and 35.0 % per cent of the respondents were really don’t care about what happen to some recipients at weekly. 38.3% of the respondents were feel recipients blame them for some of their problems at weekly, 25.0% of the respondents were feel recipients blame them for some of their problems in a few days in a month, and 21.7% of the respondents were everyday feel that recipients blame them for some of their problems. Above half 55.0% of the respondents were not believe that their co-workers treated differently, and 35.0% of the respondents were believe that their co-workers treated differently. It shows that minimum number of respondents feel that they were differently treated by their co-workers.33.3% of the respondents were suggest that can improve the sanitation facilities while duty in outside, 26.7 per cent of the respondents were not suggested anything. It shows that the majority of the respondents want sanitation facilities as their welfare measures. The half 46.7% of the respondents were reasoned that workload were the causes of burnout. The half 50.0% of the respondents were said that they were scold their children when they were in stress, and 43.3% of the respondents were not scold their children even they were in stress. So the majority of the respondents scold their children when they were in stress due to their job. Above half 55.5 per cent of the respondents were said that there is no conflict between family due to the work, and 33.3 per cent of the respondents were said that increase the conflict between them and husband. So the majority of the respondents felt that conflict arises between her and her husband due to work. 48.3% of the respondents were balanced their work life and family life, and 41.7 per cent of the respondents were somewhat balanced their work life and family. It shows that the majority of the respondents maintaining a balanced life between work life and family life. 55.5 per cent of the respondents were low level in burnout between the 51 and 63. 45.0 per cent of the respondents were high level in burnout between 64 and 76. It shows that maximum levels of respondents were low level in burnout and minimum levels of respondents were high level in burnout.
This study found that majority of the respondents suffers from work fatigue. The work fatigue reduces energy, motivation and concentration. Some studies shown that activities like meditation and yoga can help to decrease the stress and anxiety that lead to work fatigue. So a regular schedule of yoga, either in the morning or before bed time, helps to reduce the work fatigue. Majority of the respondents feel that they are working hard in their job for promotions and broader life satisfaction. But working too hard can causes negative effects such as stress, fatigue and burnout, health suffer, and affect career too. So, this should be explained to the respondents by awareness programmes or by taking seminars. This study has found that majority of the respondents are suffered from Burnout which is the combination of emotional exhaustion, feelings of depersonalization and perceived lack of accomplishment. The result of burnout is often an inability to perform duties well. So there is a need for training for the women police about how to cope with stress at work. This study has found that many of them feel that they have too much work to do. It is the major reason for burnout. So government can give more employment for women who are willing to become a police, so they can take over some of their duties. The government can improve the career development of the women police like promotions, increment for broader life satisfaction. Government can try to increase the welfare measures such as adequate sanitation facilities, building facilities etc. Government also can try to give opportunity to express their own ideas or give their suggestions.