Unit 2 Use of Force PDF

Unit 2 Use of Force Lesson 2 Survival Stress Reaction Lesson Goal At the end of this lesson, you will recognize the effects of survival stress on the body and mind during a critical incident. A person’s coping mechanisms govern their ability to manage stress. Generally, a person’s percep- ti...

Unit 2 Use of Force Lesson 2 Survival Stress Reaction Lesson Goal At the end of this lesson, you will recognize the effects of survival stress on the body and mind during a critical incident. A person’s coping mechanisms govern their ability to manage stress. Generally, a person’s percep- tion of self-harm determines if they view a situation as a challenge or a threat. For example, one officer engaged in a verbal confrontation with a subject might consider this interaction a chal- lenge. However, when the subject suddenly lunges at the officer with balled fists, the officer might consider this a threat. Another officer may view the initial verbal confrontation as a threat instead of a challenge. Survival Stress Survival stress is sometimes called fear-induced stress or combat stress. Survival stress is the body and mind’s response to a perceived threat. The stronger you perceive the threat, the stronger your body and mind will react. This will increase your anxiety level. Anxiety levels vary depending on the situation and your experience and training. As anxiety increases or decreases, it creates a psychological imbalance. ✅ HL422.1. Explain how survival stress affects confrontation between a subject and an officer Depending on how you assess the threat, your physiological response may vary. This may cause many mind-body responses, including an elevated heart rate, increase in respiration, and the pausing of digestion. These effects may lead to intense changes in your physical ability and decision-making. ✅ HL422.2. Describe the four instinctual reactions when experiencing survival stress People are likely to react to survival stress in one of four ways: fight, flight, posture, or submit. During an encounter, survival stress may occur in the subject, the officer, or both. Some subjects may fight or flee while others, given the same set of circumstances, may decide to submit. To submit is to completely relinquish control to another. Subjects might also become verbally and physically threatening, indicating they may resist by assuming a threatening posture. Conversely, the officer might posture by displaying a show of force without actually using force. The officer might choose to disengage from an overwhelming threat or decide to engage and take control of the subject. Chapter 4 Criminal Justice Defensive Tactics / 223 Consider this example: An officer gives a man a command. The man postures by expanding his chest and begins to speak loudly, shouting, “You’re not taking me!” He strikes his chest with his open hands while stepping back and forth, side to side as he yells the same words over and over. The officer can choose to display a higher level of force by elevating voice commands and draw- ing an intermediate weapon, such as a baton (posturing). The man may back down (submit) and follow the officer’s verbal directions with no force used. However, if the man does not submit to the officer’s authority, his posturing may indicate that he is about to fight or is preparing to run (flee). ✅ HL422.3. Describe the psychological changes that may occur while experiencing survival stress When in a threatening situation, your body and mind adapt to help you react to threats by releas- ing stress hormones. Understanding these psychological and physiological changes will help you better manage them before, during, and after an encounter. Physiological Changes Under Stress ✅ HL422.4. Describe the physiological changes that may occur while experiencing survival stress When facing extreme anxiety, you may experience physical changes within your body. One or more of the following symptoms of survival stress may occur: increased heart rate and respiration diminished or amplified hearing distorted vision (for example, tunnel vision, inability to see close objects with detail, or fixating on one location and not seeing other details of the event) loss of bladder and bowel control increased reaction time motor performance changes loss of fine motor skills (the muscle control required to make small, precise movements, such as unlocking handcuffs with a key) heavier reliance on gross motor skills (movements of the large or major muscles of the body to do things like run, punch, or kick) loss of complex motor skills (tasks that require a combination of fine and gross motor skills using hand-eye coordination timed to a single event, such as driving a vehicle) 224 / Florida Basic Recruit Training Program (HL): Volume 2  complete breakdown of motor skills (freezing or submitting) occurrences seeming faster or slower than they are objects appearing closer or farther than they are Decision-Making Under Stress ✅ HL422.5. Describe the impact that survival stress may have on an officer’s decision-making Decision-making becomes more difficult in stressful situations. Instead of using a deliberate thought- ful analysis, you may rely on short, concise mental shortcuts. These mental shortcuts allow people to solve problems and make judgments quickly and efficiently. They shorten decision-making time and allow you to function without constantly stopping to think about the next decision or course of action. These types of “short-cut decisions” are based on training and experience. The less time you have to make a decision, the more likely you are to make a mistake in judgment. You can offset this issue by increasing your training. Speech Patterns Under Stress ✅ HL422.6. Describe the changes that may occur in speech patterns while experiencing survival stress Signs of stress often show up in vocal quality and speech pattern. High-stress situations can cause vocal cords to constrict and lead to a higher pitch in the voice and sometimes cracking or garbled sounds result. This can affect the clarity of radio communications. An officer might speak emotionally or without thinking on the scene and after an incident. The offi- cer may curse, brag, or boast. This is due to being in a high state of stress both during and directly after an incident. At times, officers in this situation do not remember or may even regret what they have said. This phenomenon might be called “exhilaration speech,” statements brought on by a euphoric feeling of accomplishment after prevailing in a critical incident. Officers may speak without stopping while in an anxious state. During an internal investigation, they may say things that are not helpful to the investigation and may make their account seem unreliable. In the presence of a suspect, this speech pattern can erode an officer’s command pres- ence and give the appearance of not being in control. Chapter 4 Criminal Justice Defensive Tactics / 225 Threat Awareness The Threat Awareness Spectrum is an illustration of how survival stress may affect your reaction to a perceived challenge or threat. Threat Awareness Spectrum Condition White Condition Yellow Condition Orange Condition Red Condition Black Unaware that a General Recognition that Specific threat Threat threat exists awareness of a threat exists identified and mismanaged possible threats appropriate due to panicked actions taken stress response Attention is Attention is Awareness of a The threat Survival stress unfocused or focused, and the specific threat is assessed functions preoccupied, officer scans the encourages and managed break down. and the officer environment for preplanning and through Submission or is oblivious potential threats. more intense intensified freezing may to potential focus. Physical cognitive occur. An officer danger in their indicators of and physical may overreact, environment. stress may reactions. underreact, or become evident. Survival stress not react to a functions situation. become optimum. Example: Example: Examples: Examples: Examples: A person drives While on the job, A patrol officer The patrol officer The patrol officer to work and does an officer is in a sees a vehicle initiates the plan panics and may not remember state of relaxed backed into a to engage the not respond the drive awareness and parking space at suspects as they effectively. (automatic pilot). notices what a convenience exit the store. is going on. store with the engine running, considers the possibility of a robbery in progress, and begins tactical planning. A correctional The correctional The correctional officer sees officer initiates officer panics and an inmate the plan may not respond with possible to engage effectively. contraband and the inmate. begins forming a plan of action. Source: Jeff Cooper, Principles of Personal Defense 226 / Florida Basic Recruit Training Program (HL): Volume 2 ✅ HL422.7. Identify the desired state of awareness or readiness an officer should maintain while on routine duty Your desired state of awareness while on routine duty is Condition Yellow. This is the optimum state of mind to remain focused while scanning for potential problems. From Condition Yellow, you can quickly move to Condition Orange or Condition Red, based on the situation. Condition White and Condition Black are not optimum states of readiness while on duty. Coping With the Effects of Survival Stress ✅ HL422.8. List techniques that may assist an officer in managing the effects of survival stress Survival stress is a mind-body reaction to fear. You can increase your coping skills and better prepare for the effects of stress by doing the following: preplan stay physically fit get enough rest keep a nutritious diet use controlled breathing techniques rely on techniques that involve gross motor movements rather than fine motor skills train under realistic environmental conditions designed to mirror high-stress scenarios anticipate the possibility of resistance with every subject encounter stay proficient in physical and mental skills stay proficient with firearms and other issued equipment Be aware that officers who have experienced an extremely stressful situation, such as an officer- involved shooting, may later show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. Chapter 4 Criminal Justice Defensive Tactics / 227