Purpose

Police officers are exposed to a wide variety of stressors – frequently interacting with people at their worst moments and sometimes absorbing the trauma that victims experience themselves. Investigating sexual assaults reported by adults presents significant challenges given the often high levels of distress experienced by victims paired with the likelihood that no arrest will be made and the low conviction rates. Little research explores the impact this investigatory work has on the detectives who are assigned to these cases.

Design/methodology/approach

Using interviews conducted with 42 sexual assault detectives across six jurisdictions designed to understand sexual assault case attrition, the study enhances understanding of the effects of investigating crimes of sexual violence on detectives. Specifically, the aurhors explore their experiences within the context of burnout and secondary traumatic stress.

Findings

The current study clearly identifies the incidence of emotional symptoms among sexual assault investigators. During the course of interviews about their decision-making, detectives, unprompted by researchers, manifested symptoms of trauma resulting from their assigned caseloads.

Research limitations/implications

Open-ended interviews offer a promising approach to exploring foundational questions.

Practical implications

Exposure to victims who have suffered the trauma of sexual assault can have a subsequent impact on the job performance and personal life of those who respond to victims in immediate crisis and to those who provide long-term assistance. A plan for future research is detailed to better pinpoint how and when these symptoms arise and interventions that may address their effects.

Originality/value

While there is a large literature detailing vicarious trauma for social workers, nurses and doctors, the topic is generally understudied among police officers and specifically detectives despite their repeated contacts with adult victims of violent crimes. This research builds upon the knowledge of burnout experienced by child maltreatment detectives to enhance understanding of sexual assault detectives.

中文翻译：

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替代创伤，继发性创伤压力或倦怠？：调查性侵犯案件对侦探的影响的探索性研究

目的

警务人员承受着各种各样的压力-经常在最糟糕的时刻与人们互动，有时会吸收受害者遭受的创伤。鉴于受害者遭受的痛苦经常很高，加上无法逮捕的可能性和低定罪率，调查成年人报告的性侵犯提出了严峻的挑战。很少有研究探索这项调查工作对分配给这些案件的侦探的影响。

设计/方法/方法

该研究使用了六个司法辖区的42名性侵犯侦探进行的访谈，目的是了解性侵犯案件的流失情况，从而使人们更加了解调查性暴力犯罪对侦探的影响。具体而言，极光在倦怠和继发性创伤压力的背景下探索他们的经历。

发现

当前的研究清楚地确定了性侵犯调查员中情绪症状的发生率。在关于他们的决策的访谈过程中，研究人员没有提示的侦探表现出因分配病例数而造成的创伤症状。

研究局限/意义

不限成员名额的访谈提供了一种探索基础问题的有前途的方法。

实际影响

遭受遭受性攻击创伤的受害者的接触可能会对那些在紧急危机中作出反应的受害者以及提供长期援助的人们的工作表现和个人生活产生随后的影响。详细制定了​​一项未来研究计划，以更好地查明这些症状的产生方式和时间以及可能解决其影响的干预措施。

创意/价值

尽管有大量文献详细介绍了社会工作者，护士和医生的替代性创伤，但是尽管警察与成年暴力犯罪的受害者反复接触，但在警官尤其是侦探中，这个话题通常未被充分研究。这项研究建立在虐待儿童侦探经历的倦怠知识的基础上，以增进对性侵犯侦探的理解。