CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Psychoactive substances are chemical substances that alter a person’s consciousness, mood and thinking when they are taken. Alcohol is one of the most widely used of these substances. It is socially accepted in many settings, and for some people it is the starting point for experimenting with cigarettes and other drugs. Peer influence, unstable family structure, advertising and difficulty in coping with stress are among the factors commonly linked to alcohol and drug use.

Alcohol use carries a heavy health burden. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 2.6 million deaths a year, or 4.7% of all deaths, are attributable to alcohol, and that around 400 million people live with alcohol use disorders (WHO, 2024). The WHO report also notes that the highest share of alcohol-attributable deaths (13%) occurs among people aged 20 to 39, and that most of the deaths occur among men (WHO, 2024). Alcohol damages the liver and increases the risk of depression, and it affects many parts of the brain, especially those that control memory, coordination and judgement. Among students, heavy drinking has been linked to missed classes, failed tests, poor academic performance and dropout. In some occupations, including policing and the military, drinking is also sometimes seen as a way of coping with strain or as a sign of toughness.

Police work exposes officers to unusual levels of stress and danger. A study of 435 police officers in Ibadan found psychological distress in about one third of them, with witnessing the death of a colleague the most important operational stressor (University of Ibadan, n.d.). The same study reported alcohol abuse in 4.8% of respondents, and recommended improved work conditions and early interventions (University of Ibadan, n.d.). More recent work in the same city found that police officers’ burnout significantly predicted higher alcohol use, and that low levels of authentic happiness also predicted heavier drinking (Fasanu et al., 2024). The authors point out that alcohol and drug use and their correlates have been researched less among law enforcement officers in Nigeria than among the general population (Fasanu et al., 2024).

Personality characteristics may also influence who turns to alcohol. Personality is a dynamic, organised set of characteristics that uniquely shapes a person’s thoughts, motivations and behaviour in different situations, and it is understood to develop through both inherited tendencies and environment and experience. Two traits that are relevant to policing are tough-mindedness, which in this study refers to the ability to face difficulty and failure with resilience, determination and courage, and aggression, a trait marked by hostility, anger and a readiness to act violently. Anger may arise from hurt pride, unrealistic expectations or repeated hostile thoughts, and any situation that frustrates a person, especially where someone else is blamed for the loss, can trigger anger and aggression. Aggressive conduct by officers is a public concern, and it can disrupt the work of an organisation and harm the people who deal with the police.

Stress is also central. Stress is now generally understood as the result of an interaction between the person and the situation: the psychological and physical state that results when a person’s resources are not enough to meet the demands and pressures of the job. Work stress describes the physical, mental and emotional wear and tear that arises when job requirements do not match an employee’s capabilities, resources or needs. Modern workplaces stress workers by demanding higher productivity at greater speed, and in Nigeria officers must also cope with economic uncertainty, insecurity, poor infrastructure and long hours. Officers who are unable to manage this strain by healthier means may turn to alcohol.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Adulthood is a time of trying new things, and some police officers use alcohol out of curiosity, to relax, to reduce stress, or to fit in. Many do not link what they do today with what may happen later, and some feel that they are immune to the problems that affect others. Officers who are not well adjusted to the workplace, and who do not use healthier ways of coping, may turn to alcohol. Alcohol use in police forces has long been debated by researchers, families, governments, and medical and legal practitioners, and the prevalence of alcohol use among police forces around the world gives cause for concern. Intoxication, memory loss, violence and risky sexual behaviour are among the consequences associated with officers’ current drinking patterns.

Studies of police officers in Nigeria have examined psychosocial hazards, burnout, happiness and occupational stress in relation to alcohol and drug use (Fasanu et al., 2024; University of Ibadan, n.d.). Less is known about the role of personality traits, particularly tough-mindedness and aggression, alongside stress. This study therefore investigates tough-mindedness, aggression and stress as predictors of alcohol use among police officers, with the aim of suggesting better ways of helping them to lead healthy lives.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main objective of the study is to examine character traits (tough-mindedness and aggression) and stress as predictors of alcohol use among police officers in Ibadan Metropolis. The specific objectives are to:

1. examine the relationship between tough-mindedness and alcohol use among police officers in Ibadan Metropolis;
2. examine the relationship between aggression and alcohol use among police officers in Ibadan Metropolis;
3. examine the relationship between stress and alcohol use among police officers in Ibadan Metropolis; and
4. examine the joint influence of tough-mindedness, aggression and stress on alcohol use among police officers in Ibadan Metropolis.

1.4 Research Questions

The study attempts to answer the following research questions:

1. What is the relationship between tough-mindedness and alcohol use among police officers in Ibadan Metropolis?
2. What is the relationship between aggression and alcohol use among police officers in Ibadan Metropolis?
3. What is the relationship between stress and alcohol use among police officers in Ibadan Metropolis?
4. What is the joint influence of tough-mindedness, aggression and stress on alcohol use among police officers in Ibadan Metropolis?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The findings should be of benefit to the Nigeria Police Force, parents, paramilitary organisations, medical and legal practitioners, governments at the three tiers (federal, state and local), and policymakers. The people of Oyo State in particular stand to gain, because the study seeks to establish whether tough-mindedness, aggression and stress help to determine alcohol use among police officers.

For police and other security forces, the findings will show how heavy drinking can affect an officer’s personality and family, since children learn by observing their parents’ behaviour. Officers who experiment with alcohol as a way of coping with stress may develop problem use if they are not helped early, and previous work calls for early interventions for officers (University of Ibadan, n.d.; Fasanu et al., 2024).

Government, psychologists, medical practitioners and legal practitioners will be able to use the findings to design interventions that help officers avoid alcohol misuse and understand their importance in society.

1.6 Scope and Limitations of the Study

The study is designed to determine the influence of tough-mindedness, aggression and stress on alcohol use among police officers, and it is limited to Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria.

The limitations encountered in the course of the study were:

Control limitation. On the directive of the project supervisor, the study covered only character traits and stress as predictors of alcohol use among police officers operating in Ibadan Metropolis.

Time limitation. The time allowed for a study of this scale was relatively short, given the researcher’s other academic commitments.

Data limitation. Because the topic concerns police officers, some respondents were reluctant to take part for fear of exposing personal habits and norms to the researcher.

1.7 Assumptions

The study is guided by the following assumptions:

1. The respondents are police officers operating in Ibadan Metropolis.
2. Only willing respondents took part in the survey.
3. All the information provided by the respondents is true, accurate and unbiased.

1.8 Definition of Terms

Aggression: A character trait expressed in behaviour and attitude that is marked by hostility, violence and anger.

Alcohol use: The consumption of alcoholic beverages, ranging from low-risk drinking to hazardous and harmful use, including consumption that is not for therapeutic purposes but for altering the normal functioning of mind and body.

Police officers: Individuals who play a central part in the law enforcement system. They monitor criminal activity, take part in community patrols, respond to emergency calls, issue citations, make arrests, investigate crimes and testify in court as needed.

Stress: The physiological or psychological response to negative psychological or environmental factors at work that are perceived as taxing, disturbing or threatening to a person’s health or well-being.

Tough-mindedness: The ability to face difficulties and failures with resilience, determination and courage.

References

Fasanu, O. O., Oderinde, K. O., & Odunfa, O. O. (2024). Effects of happiness and burnout on alcohol and drug abuse among officers of the police force in Ibadan, Nigeria. African Journal of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, 12(1), 19–34. https://doi.org/10.4314/ajada.v12i1.4

University of Ibadan. (n.d.). Psychosocial hazards and health status of police officers in Ibadan [Thesis]. University of Ibadan Repository. https://repository.ui.edu.ng/handle/123456789/517

World Health Organization. (2024). Global status report on alcohol and health and treatment of substance use disorders. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news/item/25-06-2024-over-3-million-annual-deaths-due-to-alcohol-and-drug-use-majority-among-men