The role of spirituality as a coping mechanism for South African traffic officers

• Published in: Hervormde teologiese studies Vol. 73; no. 3; pp. 1 - 6
• Main Authors: Jacobs, Rochelle, Van Niekerk, Annelize
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pretoria AOSIS 01.09.2017; African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS; AOSIS (Pty) Ltd; Reformed Theological College of the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Pretoria and Society for Practical Theology in South Africa
• Subjects: Analysis; career counselling; Content analysis; coping; Coping (Psychology); employee and organisational wellness; interpretive paradigm; Psychological aspects; qualitative study; Religion; Religious aspects; Roads & highways; Spirituality; Stress management; traffic officer; Traffic police; South Africa
• ISSN: 0259-9422; 2072-8050; 2072-8050
• DOI: 10.4102/hts.v73i3.4344

Traffic officers are faced with many stressful situations, yet each traffic officer might cope differently with these stressors. Spirituality is regarded as an essential defence in stressful situations. Therefore, this article provides a basic framework guiding traffic officers and practitioners, on how spirituality can be used as a coping mechanism when faced with various work-related stressors. An interpretative, qualitative study was conducted utilising purposive sampling in which 10 traffic officers participated in in-depth interviews. In line with the interpretive paradigm, data were analysed using content analysis. The research findings indicate when utilising spirituality to various degrees in their workplace, traffic officers displayed adaptive coping capabilities. Traffic officers associated less spirituality or a lack thereof with weaker coping capability. Furthermore, spirituality in traffic officers is informed by their spiritual or religious foundation, their purpose in work and life, their connection to a spiritual source, and the fruits of spirituality. The coping ability of traffic officers is influenced by their upbringing and background, by stressors in their work environment and by their coping mechanisms. The role of spirituality in the coping of traffic officers culminated in their ability to interpret the meaning of spirituality, and then implementing spirituality as a coping mechanism.