Humor Functions Within Crime Scene Investigations: Group Dynamics, Stress, and the Negotiation of Emotions

Abstract

Humor plays a significant role in the personal interactions of our everyday lives. Studies of workplace humor are far reaching, discussing the multiple important functions humor plays at work. Of particular significance in these studies is that humor is context dependent. How humor functions in law enforcement, particularly within specialty areas that are exposed to high stress and psychologically threatening work conditions, has been neglected. This study examines the functions of humor within the arena of crime scene investigators. Semi-structured in-depth interviews revealed that humor functioned within group dynamics. Humor served to reduce stress so that job tasks could be completed, and it was also used as a barometer of the investigators’ negotiation of the emotional burdens of such work.