Den professionelt empatiske politibetjent: Politistuderendes håndtering af følelser i arbejdet

Abstract

Denne artikel omhandler de personlige, sociale og folelsesmaessige krav, som stilles til politibetjente i dag. I artiklen undersoges hvilke kompetencekrav der stilles til Politiskolens ansogere; hvordan de onskede personlige kompetencer identificeres under optagelsen og opoves under uddannelsen, herunder hvorledes politistuderende bringer disse kompetencer i anvendelse i modet med borgere. Videre belyser vi, hvordan kravet om empati forhandles og balanceres mod andre krav, samt hvordan belastninger i forbindelse med folelsesarbejde opleves og soges handteret. I politiarbejdet gores der meget ud af at skulle tage hensyn til politiets image, saledes at politibetjente straekker sig langt for at vise sig som talmodige, venlige og hjaelpsomme. Men hensynet til image udadtil kan blive understottet af en vis barskhed backstage. Politibetjentene er udfordret pa at vaere personlige i deres kommunikation (displayed emotions, med Hochschilds begreb) samtidigt med, at deres person (og felt emotions) skal holdes udenfor. Uniformen kommer til at fungere som en ”regnfrakke”, hvor forskellige typer af belastninger far lov til at prelle af. Artiklen bygger pa dokumentanalyse, interviews med rekrutteringsansvarlige, undervisere og praktikkoordinatorer samt observation af studerende. Endvidere inddrages svar fra en sporgeskemaundersogelse blandt politistuderende om disses oplevelser og handteringer af folelsesmaessige krav og belastninger under deres praktikperioder. ENGELSK ABSTRACT: Lotte Bloksgaard and Annick Prieur: The Empathetic Police Officer: Police Students’ Handling Emotions at Work This article analyzes the personal, social and emotional demands on police officers today. It examines the requirements for entrance to police education: how personal suitability is identified at the entrance examination, and how this is trained during the education. This includes how police students use their skills in encounters with citizens. We also shed light on how the demand for empathy is negotiated and balanced in relation to other demands, and how strains in connection with emotional work are experienced and handled. In police work there is concern for the image of the police force, and this concern makes police officers go to length to show themselves as patient, friendly and ready to lend a hand. The concern for this image may be sustained, however, by a certain roughness backstage. Police officers are challenged by the requirement of being personal (displayed emotions, with Hochschild’s concept) at the same time as their own person (and their felt emotions) should be kept out of the work situation. The uniform serves as a ”rain coat” making different strains rebound. The article draws on document analysis, interviews with recruiters, teachers and practice term coordinators as well as observations of the students. In addition data from a survey among police students concerning their experiences and handling the emotional demands and strains are included. Keywords: police, police education, empathy, social skills, management of emotions, emotional strains.