Secondary Trauma and the Management of Sex Offenders

1. Secondary Trauma and the Management of Sex Offenders Section 2: Understanding Secondary Trauma in the Management of Sex Offenders

2. Have You Ever Thought…? • “Wow, these cases are really getting to me!” • “How in the world could someone possibly do these things to another person?” • “I’m not naïve, I’ve been doing this work for a long time, and I thought I’d seen just about everything—but this is the worst one yet!” • “The assessment tools say this guy is low risk. How in the world could that be?” Section 2

3. Wanted: Experienced Professional to Participate on a Sex Offender Management Team • Applicants must be willing to do the following: • Protect victims from sexual assault; • Hold sex offenders accountable for their actions; • Investigate every detail of sex offenders’ lives; • Be exposed to the dark side of humanity on an ongoing basis; • Carry the burden of community safety; • Risk personal and professional isolation; and • Run a high risk for secondary trauma. (Adapted from Pullen & Pullen, 1996) Section 2

4. “Those who work with offenders are ‘called upon to bear witness to the crime.’” —Judith Herman in Trauma and Recovery (1992) Section 2

5. Secondary Trauma Definition: The dual experience of feeling traumatized by the victims’ pain and the offenders’ history of offending. Section 2

6. Who Is Susceptible to Secondary Trauma? • Professionals who work with offenders or victims of sexual abuse, or whose work otherwise addresses issues of sexual abuse are vulnerable to secondary trauma. • Nurses/doctors • Victim advocates • Social workers • Therapists/treatment providers • Clergy • Law enforcement personnel • Attorneys • Judges • Supervision officers • Offender release decision makers Section 2

7. How Can Secondary Trauma Affect Us? • In one study, 62% of professionals in the sex offender management field identified themselves as experiencing symptoms associated with trauma, including flashbacks, bad dreams, and intrusive images. • These professionals were more likely than those who did not identify themselves as experiencing secondary trauma to report anxiety, depression, and isolation, among other emotions, and tended to see the world as more chaotic. (Rich, 1997) Section 2

8. How Can Secondary Trauma Affect Us? (Continued) • Another study found that clinicians who treated survivors of sexual abuse and clinicians who treated sexual offenders both experienced high levels of secondary trauma, including avoidance (e.g., of people, activities, etc.) and intrusion (e.g., images, nightmares, etc.). (Way, VanDeusen, Martin, Applegate, & Jandle, 2004) Section 2

9. How Can Secondary Trauma Affect Us? (Continued) • Other research has revealed that victim advocates struggle with many symptoms and characteristics of secondary trauma, including feelings of anger, fear for their safety, and a sense of loneliness and isolation. • Victim advocates reported that their work with victims impacted their personal lives, and challenged their positive relationships with friends, family members, partners, and others. (Carmody, 1997) Section 2

10. Why Might You Experience Secondary Trauma and/or Burnout? • It is difficult to hear about and actually witness the impact of sexual abuse on victims and their families. • It is difficult to be constantly monitoring the offender in the hopes of interrupting his offense cycle and reducing his risk to reoffend. • Worrying constantly about what will happen if a case “blows up” can be extremely stressful. Section 2

11. Why Might You Experience Secondary Trauma and/or Burnout? (Continued) • It is emotionally draining to read sexual histories of sex offenders and to listen to their offense disclosures. • Being vigilant about not getting manipulated by sex offenders can be exhausting. • Confidentiality and privacy protections sometimes do not allow us to process the details of these cases with others. Section 2

12. Why Might You Experience Secondary Trauma and/or Burnout? (Continued) • The need to remain fair and impartial may lead to internalizing and “stuffing” our reactions and feelings. • In sex offense cases, we constantly have to attempt to balance multiple—and sometimes competing—demands and interests, including: • Victims and their families; • Offenders; • Communities; • Criminal justice agencies; • Public officials; and • The news media. Section 2

13. Why Might You Experience Secondary Trauma and/or Burnout? (Continued) • Insufficient “recovery time” between cases, high caseloads, large amounts of paperwork, and deadline pressures can make it difficult for officers to properly supervise their caseloads, which often leads to feelings of exhaustion and being overwhelmed. • Making release and revocation, treatment, and other decisions about these high stakes cases is complicated and challenging. • The responsibility for protecting community and victim safety weighs heavily on our shoulders. Section 2

14. Why Might You Experience Secondary Trauma and/or Burnout? (Continued) • The responsibility for protecting community and victim safety weighs heavily on our shoulders and the stakes associated with the cases make this responsibility very onerous. Section 2

15. Secondary Trauma Is a Natural Response “The expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it is as unrealistic as expecting to be able to walk through water without getting wet.” —Rachel Remen in Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal (1996) Section 2