Investigators often hear difficult stories, many of which are traumatic in nature. Those of us who handle high volumes of investigations related to traumatic events, such as sexual misconduct, might experience vicarious trauma. Coined by Lisa McCann and Laurie Anne Pearlman in 1990, vicarious trauma is a term that describes the occupational hazard of ongoing exposure to traumatic content.
As investigators, our job can expose us to an array of traumatic information. We receive distressing stories from complainants; we immerse ourselves deeply in the details of tragic concerns; we listen with impartiality when complainants, registrants and respondents share painful stories of how the concerns have impacted them, and we remain professional when frustrated participants take their anger out on us. Though we set aside our feelings to remain professional, impartial, and empathetic in the moment, our feelings continue to exist, and they can show up in different ways after the fact.
Vicarious trauma arises in different ways depending on the person and the experience, but here are some common symptoms:
- Intrusive thoughts: Do upsetting details of an investigation or interview surface in your mind unexpectedly or outside of work hours?
- Lingering feelings: Have you continued to experience anger, frustration, sadness, or other ongoing feelings related to the investigation?
- Difficulty remaining neutral: Do you find yourself feeling sympathy for one party or another while investigating a concern?
- Work-specific anxiety: Do you feel more anxious than usual at the thought of approaching situations similar to one that affected you (e.g., interviews, evidence collection, etc.)?
- Physical changes: Are you feeling unusually fatigued, having difficulty sleeping, experiencing headaches or panic attacks, and/or noticing a change in your appetite?
- Behavioural changes: Are you finding yourself disconnecting from others? Are you struggling with making decisions, concentrating, and/or remembering things?
- Emotional changes: Are you feeling unusually anxious, irritable, sad, angry, numb, or “on edge”?
If you’re experiencing any of the above signs or symptoms, you may want to speak with a mental healthcare professional who can help you access the tools you need to take care of yourself. There is no need to hold the weight of your work alone, even when it is confidential in nature; you can tell healthcare professionals and loved ones how your work has affected you without compromising integrity and confidentiality.
Taking care of yourself can be challenging, but it is a non-negotiable if you are to continue to do your job well in the long term. Untended vicarious trauma can impact every aspect of your personal life, and it also increases the chance of investigator bias. It can cloud your ability to be neutral, to clearly assess situations, and to approach interviews and evidence collection professionally.
Everyone’s version of self-care looks different; here are some ways we strive to take care of ourselves at Barker Hutchinson:
- We debrief with colleagues after challenging interviews.
- We schedule challenging interviews before lunch or toward the end of the day.
- We take care of our physical and mental health, such as through regular exercise and enough sleep.
- We have flexible working hours that allow our team to schedule their workdays as needed to maintain their connections with family and friends.
- We have extended healthcare benefits plans with increased coverage for support from mental health practitioners, including membership in an Employee Assistance Program with practitioners skilled in helping clients manage vicarious trauma.
- We foster a culture that embraces mental health support—it’s not a point of pride to manage potentially traumatizing files without help.
- We balance our caseloads, ensuring that investigators have a mix of files of varying intensity.
Our work can be challenging, relentless, and at times all-consuming, but it is ultimately fulfilling. We have the privilege of hearing people’s stories during what is often a challenging time in their lives, and we have the responsibility of ensuring that each story is represented with clarity, accuracy, and impartiality. Taking care of ourselves is an equal commitment to our own wellbeing and to the integrity of the process we are dedicated to protecting.
