The Perceived Importance of Cybercrime Control among Police Officers: Implications for Combatting Industrial Espionage

The current research explored the predictors of how police officers perceived the importance of combatting cybercrime. This is an era in which industrial security is threatened by perpetrators who use advanced techniques to steal information online. Understanding how law enforcement officers view the control of cybercrimes, especially those that steal confidential business information, can inform industrial espionage prevention and help maintain a nation’s industrial competitiveness in the world market. We surveyed a convenience sample of South Korean police officers attending training at the Police Human Resources Development Institute (PHRDI) using a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. The results indicated that the officers’ perceptions of colleagues’ and organizational views on cybercrime control significantly impacted their attitudes. Additionally, officers’ perceptions of the seriousness of online theft (in this paper, we use the terms online theft and property cybercrime interchangeably) and their computer proficiency were also found to affect their views on the importance of combatting cybercrimes. We conclude by suggesting that the police take a proactive organizational approach to prevent and respond to online property crimes through education and public awareness programs, which could positively impact the prevention of industrial espionage.

Factors That Affect Post-traumatic Growth in Korean Police Officers, by Age Group

Background: The aim of this study was to identify factors that influence PTG in South Korean police officers, according to age group.Methods: Raw data were collected from September 26 to October 9, 2017 for 269 police officers who are employed at 10 police offices in Seoul. Multiple regression analysis was conducted on selected data by age group. Results: Post-traumatic growth (PTG) was affected significantly by age, marital status, monthly income, and police rank in pain perception and social support variables among general characteristics. Factors that affected PTG in the ‘20~29’ age group were resilience (B = 0.570) and pain perception (B = 0.243), but in the ‘30~39’ age group, only Pain perception (B = 0.249) was significant, and in the ‘over 50’ age group, social support (B = 0.448) and pain perception (B = 0.252) were significant.Conclusion: Development of mental health programs should consider the age group of the patients. Mental health care should also be continuous.

Association between Body Fat Percentage and Physical Performance in Male Korean Police Officers

Body composition can affect a police officer’s physical performance. We analyzed the correlation between body fat percentage (%fat) and physical performance in 326 male Korean police officers (age, 44.2 ± 9.2 years; height, 174.0 ± 4.5 cm; weight, 76.4 ± 8.8 kg) who were classified into two groups according to their %fat: high-fat (HFG, %fat ≥ 25%; n = 135) and low-fat (LFG, %fat < 25%; n = 191). Physical performance tests included a 100-m sprint, push-ups, sit-ups, and a hand-grip strength test. The results showed significant differences in performance between the groups in the 100-m sprint (p = 0.001) and in the sit-up test (p = 0.033), but not for push-ups (p = 0.130) or hand-grip strength (p = 0.255). A significant positive correlation was found between %fat and the 100-m sprint (r = 0.255, p < 0.000), and a negative correlation was found between %fat and push-ups (r = −0.117, p = 0.035) and sit-ups (r = −0.199, p < 0.000). However, there was no significant correlation between %fat and hand-grip strength (r = −0.093, p = 0.095). To improve physical performance, an intervention training program is recommended for reducing %fat, because high levels of %fat in male Korean police officers were associated with low levels of physical performance.