A Study on Challenges and Coping Strategies among CRPF Personnel and their Wives
Abstract
The present study was an exploratory attempt done with the objective of assessing
challenges and coping strategies among CRPF personnel and their wives in expanding
stage of family life cycle. The total sample for the present study comprised of 180 CRPF
personnel and their wives residing in three districts of Rajasthan namely Ajmer, Sirohi
(Mount Abu), and Jaipur. 30 personnel and 30 wives each were selected from families
with preschool children, families of school age children and families with teenagers.
Sample selected for the present investigation had subordinate officers (SOs) having
nuclear families. Wives of the personnel were housewives. Three scales developed for
the present study namely occupational challenges scale, physical, psychological,
financial and social emotional (PPFS-E) challenges scale and coping strategies scale.
All three scales were standardized by calculating reliability and validity. For the data
collections, personnel and their wives were contacted personally at their respective
locale. Proportionate sampling technique was used for sample collection. The data
obtained were analysed in light of objectives for the present investigation. Frequency
and percentage distribution were calculated to find out challenges and coping strategies
among the personal and their wives. Z- test was calculated to find out the significant
difference between personnel and their wives regarding their physical, psychological,
financial and socio-emotional challenges and their usage pattern of coping strategies. T
test was calculated to find out the significant difference between personnel and their
wives to calculate stage wise (preschool/school age, preschool/teenage,
teenage/preschool) differences among personnel and their wives regarding their
challenges and coping strategies. Data analysis reveals that majority of personnel
belonged to Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) rank. Most of them were having less than 10 years of work experience. Majority of personnel faced moderate level of occupational
challenges in which they faced organizational challenges and operational challenges at
moderate level. As far as overall challenges are concerned, greatest percentage of
personnel faced challenges at low level while majority of their wives experienced
challenges at moderate level. Majority of CRPF personnel faced psychological and
socio-emotional challenges at moderate level. Most of the wives experienced physical,
psychological and socio-emotional challenges at moderate level. Compared to their
husbands, majority of wives faced more physical challenges. As far as CRPF personnel
are concerned, majority of them faced more psychological, financial and socioemotional
challenges at moderate level as compared to their wives. Significant
difference was found in socio-emotional challenges. Regarding stage wise challenges,
in all stages of family life cycle, wives faced more physical challenges as compared to
their counterparts. Compared to their wives, personnel faced more psychological,
financial and socio-emotional challenges. Significant difference was observed in
psychological and socio-emotional challenges at preschool stage and teen-age stage.
Significant difference was also detected in physical, financial and socio-emotional
challenges at school age. For the overall challenges, personnel experienced more
challenges in psychological, financial and socio-emotional areas as compared to their
wives in all stages of expanding stage of family life cycle. However, the difference was
found to be non-significant for the overall challenges faced by personnel and their wives
with preschool children, school age children and teenagers. Regarding adopting coping
strategies, majority of respondents used positive coping at moderate level while most
of them used negative coping at low level. As far as, CRPF personnel and their wives
are concerned, majority of them used positive coping at moderate level while negative
coping used at low level. For the dimension wise challenges, majority of respondents
used positive coping at moderate level and negative coping at low level for their
respective challenges. Compared to their wives, majority of personnel used more
positive coping for their physical challenges. Compared to personnel, majority of wives
used more positive coping for their psychological, financial and socio- emotional
challenges. Significant difference was observed only in socio-emotional challenges.
Stage wise comparison regarding positive and negative coping reveals that in all stages,
majority of wives used more positive coping for their overall challenges as compared
to their counterparts. Most of personnel used more negative coping for their physical, psychological and socio-emotional challenges as compared to their wives.
Nevertheless, the difference was found to be non-significant for usage of overall
positive and negative coping. Stage wise comparison regarding usage of positive and
negative coping reveal that majority of wives used more positive coping for their
challenges (at all stages). Significant difference was observed in usage of positive for
socio-emotional challenges. Significant difference was found for the usage of positive
coping for socio-emotional challenges at pre -school stage. Significant difference was
also observed in usage of negative coping for financial challenges. Significant
difference was found for personnel and their wives for the usage of positive coping for
their financial and socio-emotional challenges at school age stage. Significant
difference was found in usage of negative coping for financial challenges. At teen age
stage, significant difference was detected for personnel and their wives for the usage of
positive coping for their psychological and financial challenges. Significant difference
was also observed in usage of negative coping for the psychological challenges.
However, difference was found to be non-significant in usage of positive and negative
coping for overall challenges at preschool stage, school age stage and teenage stage.
Considering the major findings of the study, guidebook was developed for the CRPF
personnel and their wives to help them to understand their real- life challenges and
motivate them to adopt right type of coping strategies.
Description
A Study on Challenges and Coping Strategies among CRPF Personnel and their Wives
Keywords
Citation
Singh N. and Audichya S.