A positive and consistent sense of self is a key requirement for psychological well-being. Thirteen South African

police officers and five police psychologists were interviewed to investigate the prevalence of negative social

feedback received by officers and the consequences of such feedback on their sense of self. Negative social feedback and perceived lack of support from police management, courts, and government were widely prevalent and were seen to impact strongly on police officers. Officers had a largely negative view of themselves, their organisation, and the social context in which they operated. They engaged in dysfunctional and self-destructive behaviour and experienced significant discrepancies between their work and non-work selves.