ABSTRACT

Teachers interact with schoolchildren on a daily basis. Hence, they are likely to be the first to recognise a child’s problem and the first to extend help. Yet showing concern and providing help to schoolchildren with complex needs can be stressful, making teachers vulnerable to compassion fatigue in that they become over-involved and begin to identify with the suffering and distress of those they are trying to help. To date, very little research has focused on the impact of compassion fatigue among teachers. The present study adopted a qualitative approach, using in-depth semi-structured interviews to evaluate perceived compassion fatigue among 42 teachers. Three main themes emerged from the interviews: a) ‘The burden is too heavy for me to bear’: Stress symptoms as perceived by the teachers; b) ‘Each new incident shocks me, causing me to relive my own trauma’: Stress triggers; and c) ‘Small gestures bring me satisfaction’: Positive aspects of teachers’ compassionate work. The study reveals teachers’ feelings of stress and burnout at work, the significant impact of secondary trauma on their lives and the need for a formal support system.

摘要

老师每天都与学童互动。因此，他们很可能是第一个发现孩子问题并提供帮助的人。然而，对有复杂需求的学童表示关心和提供帮助可能会带来压力，使教师容易产生同情疲劳，因为他们过度参与并开始认同他们试图帮助的人的痛苦和痛苦。迄今为止，很少有研究关注教师同情疲劳的影响。本研究采用定性方法，使用深入的半结构化访谈来评估 42 名教师的同情疲劳感。访谈中出现了三个主要主题： a) “负担太重，我无法承受”：教师感知到的压力症状；b) '每一个新事件都让我震惊，让我重温自己的创伤'：压力触发；c) “小动作让我满意”：教师富有同情心的工作的积极方面。该研究揭示了教师在工作中的压力和倦怠感、二次创伤对他们生活的重大影响以及对正式支持系统的需求。