Journey to Be a Balanced Person for Police in Training: A Study With the Biopsychosocial Lens

The traineeship of police is a critical stage to instil the right approach for police services. This training stage could be an avenue for a more responsive and accountable police force, which is a common agenda across developing and developed countries. Addressing this agenda, this study examines how biological, psychological, and social (BPS) factors contribute to the overall well-being and effectiveness of police officers in training. The investigation focuses on the research question, “How to address the biopsychosocial requirements of police in training?” In 2023, a convergent mixed-methods design was employed, incorporating a survey with both quantitative (DASS-21 tool) and qualitative (open-ended inquiry about police roles and BPS requirements) questions. This survey was administered to 66 police trainees at the Bangladesh Police Academy. A combination of descriptive statistics and content analysis was used. The sample police trainee cohort was predominantly male (86%), aged between 25 and 31. All female participants (100%) were married, compared to 76% of the total participants being married. It was found that police trainees perceive the profession to be a mix of challenges and rewards. While the trainees were not at any concerning level of risk regarding BPS factors, many opportunities for the betterment of BPS were identified. The study implies the need for renewed policy reform in police services, focusing on developing soft skills for both trainees and leaders, promoting work-life balance, ensuring a gender-inclusive environment, fostering a healthy lifestyle, and incorporating practical community engagement training sessions. This way, a balanced biopsychosocial development of police trainees can be ensured, making the police service well rounded to address the community’s needs. The study has the limitation of focusing on a single batch of trainees. Future studies involving a broader range of male and female trainees from multiple batches could provide deeper insights into achieving a balanced police force.