The Effects of Vicarious Trauma

Vicarious Trauma (VT) will manifest itself differently in everyone. Experiencing VT doesn't always mean you can easily identify specific physical or mental reactions to your casework. You don't have to have one event or case that you can pinpoint as the culprit. Sometimes exposure to VT causes us to be overprotective of our children because we see the worst that humans can do to each other. Other times, VT affects our ability to have relationships or make friends outside of "work." VT can be laughter out of place or a joke that isn't tasteful or is off-shift. It can lead to hypersensitive reactions, distancing, or even disconnecting yourself from your emotions. It can also lead to a variety of unhealthy coping mechanisms like alcohol use disorder, eating disorders, or aggressive behaviors.

Whether you know it or not, you have probably developed some coping mechanisms that help you deal with the stress. They needn't be all negative either! They could be running, journaling, or even playing with a pet.

As we begin to have conversations about VT symptoms and habits (positive or negative), we mustn't compare our experiences to others or think we have not experienced enough. The American Academy of Forensic Sciences Ad Hoc Committee on Vicarious Trauma is here to start these conversations and provide a platform to highlight the breadth and variety of trauma that the members are exposed to across the various disciplines. A forensic scientist in a lab setting may not see the same things as a death investigator, pathologist, or first responder, but they may face a never-ending backlog of sexual assault samples that exposes them to a different, still-powerful trauma.  We think it is important to normalize sharing how we feel and are looking to highlight experiences across AAFS sections. 

As we try to understand better how VT impacts the work we do and share ways that members mitigate its effects, we are looking for your help. Let us know how VT affects you in your work. AAFS has over 6,500 members from around the world who belong to 12 different sections, and no two members have the same experiences.  We would like to start sharing your stories through the newsletter (anonymously if you prefer) to highlight this issue. We are also interested in any policies your agencies may have to combat the effects of VT on their staff and build resiliency.  We will not name the agencies but use this information to try to understand the current baseline and share positive suggestions so others may benefit. This committee aims to produce an AAFS landing page with resources lists and mental health definitions, among other things. 

Email any experiences or agency policies you wish to share; please send these to the committee chair, Katharine Pope, at kathropologist@mac.com.