Sailing the Stormy Tides of Police Stress: Exploring the Effects of Perceived Job Dangerousness and Work–Family Conflict on Occupational Stress among Korea Coast Guard Police Officers

Abstract

The law enforcement profession has long been perceived as a stressful occupation, with the dangers of police work considered particularly relevant in explaining officers’ responses to stress and poor mental health outcomes. The current study contributes to the empirical literature on the sources of stress in policing and provides insight into the underlying mechanism of the relationship between job-related stressors and occupational stress. Using data from a representative sample of sworn police officers in the Korea Coast Guard (N = 757), this study examines the association between perceived job dangerousness and occupational stress as well as the possible mediating mechanisms through which job-related danger may increase occupational stress, specifically highlighting the mediating role of strain-based and time-based work–family conflict. The results indicate that officers who perceive their job as dangerous are more likely to experience higher levels of occupational stress. Additionally, work–family conflict mediates the impact of perceived job dangerousness on occupational stress, although only strain-based work–family conflict demonstrates a significant mediating effect. Based on our findings, we discuss policy implications in light of the unique demands of policing for the Korea Coast Guard.