Coping strategies in the South African police service

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the internal consistency, construct validity, structural equivalence and item bias of the COPE, and to determine the differences between coping strategies of various demographic groups in the South African Police Service. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A random, stratified sample (N = 1431) was taken of police members in eight South African provinces. The COPE and a biographical questionnaire were administered. Four internally consistent factors were extracted, namely Approach Coping, Avoidance, Seeking Emotional Support and Turning to Religion. These factors showed structural equivalence for police members of all race groups and no items were biased. Differences in coping strategies were found for different ranks and races.

Opsomming
Die doelstelling van hierdie studie was om die interne konsekwentheid, konstrukgeldigheid, strukturele ekwivalensie en itemsydigheid van die COPE-vraelys te bepaal en om verskille tussen die coping-strategieë van verskillende demografiese groepe in die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens te bepaal. ’n Dwarssnee opname-ontwerp is gebruik. ’n Ewekansige gestratifiseerde steekproef (N = 1431) is van polisielede in agt provinsies van Suid-Afrika geneem. Die COPE en ’n biografiese vraelys is afgeneem. Vier intern konsekwente faktore, naamlik Benaderings-coping, Vermyding, Soeke na Emosionele Ondersteuning en Keer-na-Religie is onttrek. Hierdie faktore het strukturele ekwivalensie vir alle rassegroepe getoon en geen items was sydig nie. Verskille rakende coping-strategieë is vir verskillende rang en rasse gevind.