It is important to note that occupational professionals, which are focused on helping and assisting victims of trauma, are themselves vulnerable to traumatic influences due to constant exposure to it.
Vicarious trauma can be considered an occupational problem, which primarily affects a person volunteering or working in the victim service field. The main cause is manifested in the fact that these professionals are constantly under exposure to other people’s traumas, such as direct interactions, case file analysis, video and image exposure, as well as regular knowledge of the causes of violence and injustice. In other words, vicarious trauma is caused among specialists because they are “privy to the gut-wrenching details of rape, accidents, war, and story after story of child abuse, domestic violence, and horrible neglect” (Shapiro, 2010, p. 256).
Therefore, such individuals need to integrate a self-care framework into their work in order to avoid vicarious trauma. The usual signs include depression, flashbacks, appeal to unhealthy behaviors, shame, anger, nightmares, having no hobbies, and a lack of motivation and excitement (Shapiro, 2010).
Trauma stewardship is a belief that “both joy and pain are realities of life, and that suffering can be transformed into meaningful growth and healing when a quality of presence is cultivated and maintained even in the face of great suffering” (Van Dernoot & Burk, 2009, p. 11). It is a form of daily practice to tend to trauma, pain, and hardships, which requires a sense of awareness of others’ needs. The three levels of trauma stewardship include personal dynamics, societal forces, and organizational tendencies (Van Dernoot & Burk, 2009).
In conclusion, workers in the field of victim services should be aware of the dangers of vicarious trauma and engage in trauma stewardship.
References
Shapiro, R (2010). The trauma treatment handbook: Protocols across the spectrum. Norton Books.
Van Dernoot, L., & Burk, C. (2009). Trauma stewardship: An everyday guide to caring for self while caring for others. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.