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Abstract

Current research indicates that policing is one of the most stressful occupations. To date, there has been little research on the police recruit training process and the subsequent impact of that process not only on the recruit, but on the recruit's life partner. The life partner of the police constable has been identified as a significant factor in the constable's success, yet there is virtually no research describing the life partner's perception or experience of the recruit training process. The literature indicates that work can spillover negatively into the home environment, thus, impacting upon the life partner and hence the relationship. The purpose of this study was to examine the transition experiences of the life partner over the 30 weeks of the recruit training process using Sinclair's (1990) modification of Chamer and Schlossberg's (1986) theoretical framework in order to determine the nature and outcomes of this transition process. Specifically, the study investigated the characteristics of the individual, the environment, and the transition that may have had an impact on the life partner's adjustment process. Police recruit life partners (n = 16) were asked to complete three questionnaires that were developed for this study, based on Sinclair's (1990) work with elite athletes' retirement from high performance sport. The participants completed a questionnaire at the end of each of the three blocks of recruit training. The results of the study indicated that (a) this transition process was not classified as stressful to the life partners, (b) that the impact of the training process was only slight and, (c) the general outlook on the transition and life for the majority of the participants was positive to very positive. This exploratory, longitudinal study was intended to gain a better understanding of the experiences of a crucial, yet neglected, component in the law enforcement community.