Vicarious trauma is an occupational challenge for people working and volunteering in the fields of victim services, law enforcement, emergency medical services, fire services, and other allied professions, due to their continuous exposure to victims of trauma and violence. This work-related trauma exposure can occur from such experiences as listening to individual clients recount their victimization; looking at videos of exploited children; reviewing case files; hearing about or responding to the aftermath of violence and other traumatic events day after day; and responding to mass violence incidents that have resulted in numerous injuries and deaths.
What Happens to Those Exposed to Vicarious Trauma?
The Vicarious Trauma Toolkit (VTT) introduces a new model for examining and conceptualizing the impact of vicarious trauma and the reactions and experiences of victim service providers and first responders. The VTT also introduces the roles and responsibilities of organizations in addressing the negative impact of this occupational challenge on their employees.
While individuals respond to vicarious trauma in a number of ways, a change in their world-view is considered inevitable—people can either become more cynical or fearful, or they can become more appreciative of what they have, or both. Responses to vicarious trauma can be negative, neutral, or positive; can change over time; and can vary from individual to individual, particularly with prolonged exposure. The chart below illustrates the VTT Model.
Vicarious traumatization is a negative reaction to trauma exposure and includes a range of psychosocial symptoms. (In the VTT, the term “vicarious traumatization” is used broadly to include other related terms such as secondary traumatic stress (STS), compassion fatigue (CF), and critical incident stress (CIS). These terms, often used interchangeably, have distinct and overlapping definitions, as illustrated in the Glossary of Terms.)
A neutral reaction signifies the ways that an individual's resilience, experiences, support, and coping strategies manage the traumatic material, not that it has no effect.
Vicarious resilience and vicarious transformation are newer concepts reflecting the positive effects of this work. For instance, individuals may draw inspiration from a victim’s resilience that strengthens their own mental and emotional fortitude. Just as victims can be transformed in positive ways by their trauma, so can victim service providers and first responders.
Compassion satisfaction reflects the sense of meaning that is gained from working in the fields of victim services and first responders. Such positive outcomes can motivate and, in turn, protect against the negative effects of trauma exposure.
No information regarding your use of CompEAP services can be released to your employer or anyone else without your consent. This includes all personal identifying information and information about the CompEAP services you have accessed via phone, text or online.
The only exceptions are those required by law, such as if you are a danger to yourself or others.
