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Taking Care of Taking Care of Yourself, Your Staff, Yourself, Your Staff,
and Your and Your Colleagues:Colleagues:
A Workshop on A Workshop on Preventing and Preventing and
Addressing Addressing Secondary TraumaSecondary Trauma
A n g e rManipulation
Denial
M I n I m I z a t I o n
Lack of EmpathyVictim Blaming
What Causes Secondary Trauma?
When sex offenders who are under supervision treat US as
they treat their victims . . . in a manipulating,
denying, and blaming
fashion . . .WE may feel victimized and
abused
What Causes Secondary Trauma?
Dealing with sex offenders can distort our perceptions of normal behavior
Listening to sex offender disclosures is emotionally draining and extremely difficult
What Causes Secondary Trauma?
Recognizing and firmly confronting an offender’s manipulation and abuse of power is part of our work
The use of our own “official” power sometimes violates our own sense of how people should be treated
What Causes Secondary Trauma?
Working constantly with deceit and manipulation, and being a frequent target of it, can create within us a sense of distrust of others
Feeling responsible for community safety can be very burdensome and taxing
What are the Signs of Secondary Trauma?
Feeling distrustful of others, both inside and outside our jobs
Feeling overly responsible for the safety of the community
Overusing our own coping skillsFeeling isolated
What are the Signs of Secondary Trauma?
Denying our own needs in the face of “all the work that must be done to protect others”
Relationship problems
Physical Symptoms of Prolonged Stress
MILD FORM Headaches Heartburn Gastrointestinal
problems Skin rash/hives Lower immunity High blood
pressure
EXTREME FORM Migraines Gastric ulcers Colitis Eczema Heart attack Stroke
Stress Resistance
PERSONAL CONTROL:
Improve problem-solvingIdentify problem(s)Develop & prioritize possible
solution strategiesImplement one possible strategyEvaluate proposed solutions
Stress Resistance (cont’d)
LIFE STYLE CHOICES: Healthy diet Regular exercise Regular relaxation
SENSE OF HUMOR Have fun, laugh and joke but be
careful about “morgue” humor
Stress Resistance (cont’d)
DEVELOPING & MAINTAINING CARING ATTACHMENTS
REALISTIC GOAL SETTING
MAINTAINING PURPOSEFUL MEANING IN LIFE
Burnout . . .
“Burnout is the physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by long-term involvement in emotionally-demanding situations and prolonged stress.”
—Pines & Aronson (1988)
RELENTLESS RESPONSIBILITY
BURN-OUT
SELF TEST
Burnout Self-Test
20-40: No indication of burnout potential (but if less than 30, not being challenged)
41-50: Have good balance51-60: Got some warning signs61-70: Mild burnout; probably
developing physical symptoms71-80: BURNOUT !!!
Burnout Warning Signs
DepressionFeelings of inadequacy or
incompetence; self-criticalCynicism and pessimismLoss of compassionDiscouragementChronic fatigue Irritability and inflexibility
Combination of Factors
Nature of work
Nature of the offenders and crimes worked with
Cumulative exposure to case facts
Organizational context of work
Social and cultural context of work
Personal Contributing Factors
Unrealistic professional
expectations
Personal history of trauma
Current stressful personal life Personal coping strategies that
don’t help and carry heavy costs Unfounded belief about the value of
stoicism at work
How Are We Affected? Everyday our jobs force us to see the
human potential for cruelty
We experience strong reactions of
grief, rage, and outrage
Reactions grow as we repeatedly hear about & see people’s pain & loss
Begin to alternately experience over-whelming feelings & numb ourselves to get through the day
Secondary Trauma:Basic Elements
Not traumatized directly Suffer gradual increase of exposure Second-hand exposure (multiplied
crime after crime, case after case) can be traumatizing
Parallels experience of PTSD Can potentially reduce effectiveness
& shorten tenure
Warning Signs
Generalized anxiety &
depression
Sleep disruptions / nightmares Intrusive imagery / thoughtsDissociation / depersonalization
Most Common Methods Used to Reduce Anxiety & Depression
Eating Drinking Medicating (legal and illegal) Smoking Sleeping Exercise or frantic activity Withdrawal
Trauma Trauma Resilient Resilient AgenciesAgencies
How can we create agencies that are more supportive
and trauma-resilient?
How Can the Effects of Secondary Trauma be
Mitigated (by the agency)? Provide agency support for
professionals who work with this population
Provide sex offender specific training for professionals who work with this population
How Can the Effects of Secondary Trauma be
Mitigated (by the agency)?
Train management staff to understand the dynamics of sex offending behavior and issues associated with secondary trauma
How Can the Effects of Secondary Trauma be
Mitigated (by the agency)?
Establish and maintain clear boundaries and expectations regarding issues of power
Provide a safe forum for professionals to discuss all aspects of sexual assault and sex offender management
How Can the Effects of Secondary Trauma be
Mitigated (by the agency)?
Create an environment in which staff members are not afraid to laugh
Send a clear message that an offender’s failure is NOT the officer’s failure
How Can the Effects of Secondary Trauma be
Mitigated (by the agency)?
Stay aware of changes in the field
Provide a safe forum for professionals to air differences and resolve conflicts
How Can the Effects of Secondary Trauma be
Mitigated (by the agency)?
Be flexible in assigning officers to supervise sex offender caseloads
How Can the Effects of Secondary Trauma be
Mitigated (by the agency)?
Create a collaborative process so that decisions are team-based
Maintain clear work boundaries and policies
Trauma Trauma ResilientResilient
EmployeesEmployees
What Can We Do As
Individuals?
ABCs of Addressing Secondary Trauma:
Awareness
Be self aware; know your own trauma map
Take care of yourself Create a self-care list and post it
prominently in your home or office Inventory your current lifestyle
choices & make necessary changes
Sample Self-Care List
Be creativeGet “away” Get outside, appreciate the
weatherEnjoy other environmentsHave funSocialize
ABCs of Addressing Secondary Trauma:
Balance
Give self permission to fully experience emotional reactions
Maintain clear work boundaries Set realistic goals for self Seek out new leisure activity (non-
job related)
ABCs of Addressing Secondary Trauma:
Connection Listen to feedback from colleagues,
friends & family members
Avoid professional isolation
Remember your spiritual side
Develop support systems
Don’t wait until you are suffering from secondary trauma or burnout to start taking care of yourself !
CELEBRATE LIFE
and take care of yourself!