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Character Traits (tough Mindness And Aggression) And Stress As Predictors Of Alcohol Use Among Police Officers In Ibadan Metropolis
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Psychoactive
substances are chemical substances that when taken, they have the
capability to change the consciousness, mood and thinking processes of
an individual (WHO, 2004). Alcohol is among the commonest psychoactive
substances used (Chebukaka, 2014; Attah, etal, 2016). It is socially
accepted and serves as “gateway†to the use of other substances, and as
such people begin experimenting with alcohol, cigarette and other hard
drugs. Factors such as peer influence, broken family structure,
advertisement and the inability to manage stress have been associated to
the consumption of hard drugs, alcohol inclusive (Attah, etal, 2016).
The
use of alcohol has huge negative effects on health on the global
populace. Lately, there has been some occupational, moral or even social
justification for the intake of alcohol. Among students, continuous and
excessive use has been linked to poor academic performance and school
dropout. For some, like the police officers and military men, alcohol
consumption is meant to give them vigor, boldness, courage and a sense
of toughness, perceived by people. Alcohol is the leading cause of
morbidity and mortality in the global scene. The high rate of deaths in
Nigeria, especially among the youths may not be unconnected with the
unhealthy lifestyles. Alcohol use among students is characterized by a
number of risky behaviors which in the long-run affect their well-being
and academic performance. As levels of alcohol intake increase, so also
is the prevalence of a variety of risky behaviors. Heavy alcohol intake
may lead to depression and liver damage. In addition, alcohol affects
many parts of the brain, but the most vulnerable cells are those
associated with memory, co-ordination, and judgment. Short-term effects
(usually lasts up to 72 hours after heavy use) Alcohol has several
physiological and psychological effects, which may inhibit academic
performance of students. Cognitive abilities are affected by even small
amounts of alcohol and can persist for a substantial period of time
after the acute effects of alcohol impairment disappear. Students’ poor
academic performance is associated with alcohol consumption; this is
because it contributes to students missing classes, failing tests,
dropping out of school due to poor grades, and compromising the academic
mission of colleges and universities.
Tough mindness individual is
thought to be determined largely by either genetics and/or heredity, or
by environment and experiences, or both. There is evidence for all
possibilities. Ruth Benedict was one of the leading anthropologists that
studied the impact of one's culture on the personality and tough
mindness of the individual. Tough mindness of the individual can be
defined as a dynamic and organized set of characteristics possessed by a
person that uniquely influences his or her cognitions, motivations, and
behaviors in various situations.
Anger can be the result of hurt
pride, of unreasonable expectations, or of repeated hostile fantasies.
Besides getting our way, we may unconsciously use anger to blame others
for our own shortcomings, to justify oppressing others, to boost our own
sagging egos, to conceal other feelings, and to handle other emotions
(as when we become aggressive when we are afraid). Any situation that
frustrates us, especially when we think someone else is to blame for our
loss, is a potential trigger for anger and aggression.Aggressive
behaviour that police officers exhibit in society today is a concern to
everyone. Most police officers are involved directly or indirectly in
this situation. Velisiwe (2005) stated that this experience does not
only affect police officers but also education personnel, parents,
governing bodies, representative councils and the community at large.
This behaviour frequently interrupts the smooth running of the
organization and leads to an organization or work climate not conducive.
It places everybody’s life at risk and makes the culture of learning
and training very difficult.
Stress has been described in different
ways over the years. According to Kazmi, Amjad and Khan (2008) it was
convinced as pressure from the environment, then later as a strain
within the person. However today accepted definition one of the
interactions between the situation and the individual (Kazzmi, Amjad,
Khan, 2008). It is the psychological and physical states that result
when the resources of the individual are not sufficient to cope with the
demands and pressures of the job situation. Thus, stress is more likely
in some situations than others. According to Acholu (1995) although
much is known about stress but there is no consensus or agreement as to
the definition of the terms among scientist. The term “stress†has been
defined differently by differently authors because of the complex nature
of stress itself. The pressure at work particularly the emphasis on
enhanced productivity has exaggerated the amount of stress being
experienced by workers of the 21st century. According to them while a
modicum of stress at work may enhance work motivation, the terrific
speed of modern work situations create dramatic changes in the concepts
of work and the concepts workers have to handle in working. Stress in
the work place is indispensable. It is an unavoidable aspect of human
existence according to Akinboye and Adeyemo (2002) stress in the work
place describes physical, mental and emotional wear and tear brought
about by incongruence between the requirement of the job and the
capabilities, resources or needs of the employee to cope with job
demands.
Job life on the other hand is one of the important parts of
our daily lives which cause a great deal of stress. Due to the
competitive nature of the job environment most of the police officers in
the world are spending their time for job related work purposes
resulting to ignore the stressor that are influencing their work and
life. According to Ahsa, etal (2009) asserts that people are more worry
about their outcome of their work that can even affect the way they
treat other people and how they communicate with their peers and
customers. Evidently in Nigeria according to Nwadiani and Ofoegbu (2001)
there are life threatening, harmful and challenging situations which
are stressful to people’s existence and well-being. Some of these
according to them include economic instability, driving on poorly
maintained roads, religious intolerance and insecurity.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]The
study is geared towards exploring some predicting variables of alcohol
use among police officers in Nigeria. Hence, the study investigates
whether – character traits (tough-mindness and aggression) as well as
stress are significant predictors of alcohol use among police officers
in Ibadan metropolis. 500 police officers, which comprises of 488 males
and 12 females completed the questionnaire pack of Eyesenck
Tough-mindness Scale, Buss and Perry Aggression Scale, Internat ... Continue reading---
