Date
1-16-2025
Department
Helms School of Government
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice (PhD)
Chair
Shanon Gillette
Keywords
critical incident, law enforcement, moral injury, potentially morally injurious event, phenomenology, posttraumatic stress disorder, just war theory
Disciplines
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Lenart, Harley J., "Occupational Hazard of Policing: A Phenomenological Study of Moral Injury Among Law Enforcement Officers" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6439.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6439
Abstract
The concept of moral injury is relatively new, and most of the attention has been aimed at military veterans. Moral injury is perpetrating, failing to prevent, bearing witness to, or learning about acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs and expectations. While awareness has increased in recent years, research on moral injury among law enforcement officers is limited. On average, during a 20-year career, police officers are exposed to 700 critical incidents, while average citizens may witness two. Law enforcement officers struggle with job burnout, depression, and suicide. Most law enforcement mental health studies focus on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), vicarious trauma, depression, anxiety, and related physical injuries. This study explored how potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) might contribute to officers’ perception of moral injury. PMIEs related to law enforcement duties include suicide-by-cop, officer-involved shootings, and other critical incidents. The participants selected for this study were police officers in the United States with at least five years of patrol experience and who have experienced PMIEs. Data was gathered using semi-structured interviews to explore officer perceptions during and after PMIEs. A hermeneutic phenomenological analysis of participants’ stories identified seven themes: (a) potentially morally injurious events, (b) occupational hazard of policing, (c) effects of experiencing PMIEs, (d) experience of disillusionment, (e) risk and protective factors, (f) attempted resolution of moral dissonance, and (g) advice they would give other law enforcement officers. Understanding participants’ experiences related to PMIEs provided valuable insight into recognizing occurrences of moral injury and may aid in the development of practical responses to support those who experience moral injury.
