Vicarious Trauma and its Effects on Public Safety Professionals' Ability to Complete Unbiased Investigations
Faculty Mentor Name
Kelly Crockett
Format Preference
Poster
Abstract
Public safety professionals routinely respond to incidents ranging from domestic disputes to violent crimes. This repeated exposure puts officers at risk for vicarious trauma (VT), a condition in which individuals develop stress symptoms from indirect exposure to others’ trauma. VT often overlaps with secondary traumatic stress, burnout (exhaustion from long-term overwork and emotional strain), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Together, these conditions can hinder an officer’s capacity to remain objective, increasing the likelihood of biased investigations and adversarial attitudes toward the communities they serve.
Literature on vicarious trauma in public safety and longitudinal research on effective coping mechanisms put forward two models to help relieve the effects of VT. The Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model explains how workplace stress arises when demands exceed available resources. The Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) model is a structured group discussion process designed to mitigate stress after traumatic events. Findings suggest that implementing structured debriefings, increasing organizational support, and normalizing access to mental health resources reduce fatigue and improve investigative accuracy. Left unchecked, the combination of VT, developmental experiences, and adversarial attitudes will negatively impact public safety professionals’ ability to investigate without bias.
The presentation emphasizes the importance of institutional recognition of VT and proactive strategies for prevention. By framing public safety personnel’s well-being as integral to justice outcomes, this work underscores the necessity of embedding resilience practices in forensic and investigative disciplines.
Vicarious Trauma and its Effects on Public Safety Professionals' Ability to Complete Unbiased Investigations
Public safety professionals routinely respond to incidents ranging from domestic disputes to violent crimes. This repeated exposure puts officers at risk for vicarious trauma (VT), a condition in which individuals develop stress symptoms from indirect exposure to others’ trauma. VT often overlaps with secondary traumatic stress, burnout (exhaustion from long-term overwork and emotional strain), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Together, these conditions can hinder an officer’s capacity to remain objective, increasing the likelihood of biased investigations and adversarial attitudes toward the communities they serve.
Literature on vicarious trauma in public safety and longitudinal research on effective coping mechanisms put forward two models to help relieve the effects of VT. The Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model explains how workplace stress arises when demands exceed available resources. The Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) model is a structured group discussion process designed to mitigate stress after traumatic events. Findings suggest that implementing structured debriefings, increasing organizational support, and normalizing access to mental health resources reduce fatigue and improve investigative accuracy. Left unchecked, the combination of VT, developmental experiences, and adversarial attitudes will negatively impact public safety professionals’ ability to investigate without bias.
The presentation emphasizes the importance of institutional recognition of VT and proactive strategies for prevention. By framing public safety personnel’s well-being as integral to justice outcomes, this work underscores the necessity of embedding resilience practices in forensic and investigative disciplines.