Child Abuse Investigation: Police Officers and Secondary Traumatic Stress

MacEachern, Alison D.; Jindal‐Snape, Divya; Jackson, Sharon

doi:10.1080/10803548.2011.11076898

Cited by 27 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Exposure to trauma (e.g. terrorism, natural disasters, child abuse) can impact on the health and well-being of individuals (MacEachern et al 2011;Palm et al 2004). A body of literature considers the ways in which police officers can be affected through exposure to traumatic situations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although there has been a significant body of research exploring police officers' direct exposure to trauma, MacEachern et al (2011) highlight that there is a dearth of research investigating the effect upon individuals indirectly exposed to trauma. These are individuals who do not directly experience a traumatic event but are exposed to it indirectly, for instance through the experiences of others.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Secondary Traumatic Stress: Prevalence and Symptomology Amongst Detective Officers Investigating Child Protection Cases

MacEachern

Dennis

Jackson

et al. 2018

J Police Crim Psych

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It has been increasingly recognised that individuals exposed to the trauma of others within their professional roles can be affected by secondary traumatic stress (STS). Despite this recognition, there is a dearth of literature examining the prevalence of secondary traumatic stress amongst police officers in the UK. This study aims to meet this gap. Sixty-three Detective Officers from Family Protection Units (FPU(s)), primarily engaged in child protection/abuse investigations, self-reported their experiences and symptoms associated with STS through a questionnaire. Findings indicate that over half of the respondents experienced STS symptoms with 11% reporting levels of symptoms that were in the high or severe range. This study is significant in that it provides empirical evidence of issues that have so far been little documented in the UK and considers the implications for policing policy and practice in terms of the health and well-being of serving police officers.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Secondary Traumatic Stress: Prevalence and Symptomology Amongst Detective Officers Investigating Child Protection Cases

MacEachern

Dennis

Jackson

et al. 2018

J Police Crim Psych

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“…Police officers investigating child abuse are prone to high levels of work stress which places them at a greater risk of psychological harm than the general population (MacEachern et al, 2011;Stevens & Higgins, 2002). Professional and public expectations about the standard of competency expected of a police officer are high and the range of skills and knowledge is diverse (Shapiro et al, 1999).…”

Section: Child Protection Policing: Implications For Police Officersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Empirical studies draw a picture of police officers being negatively affected mostly by organisational constraints, such as workload and inadequate systems of supervision and management (for example: Kop, Euwema, & Schaufeli, 1999;Bakker & Heuven, 2006). Measuring the impact of the emotional burden of child protection work may be problematic due to the subjective nature of police officers' experiences (MacEachern et al 2011;Oxburgh, Williamson & Ost, 2006). However, some of the strategies for reducing stress in police officers investigating child abuse include the provision of internal mental health services, as well as the co-location and joint training for police and child protection services (Wright, Powell & Ridge, 2006).…”

Section: Child Protection Policing: Implications For Police Officersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Policing child abuse: challenges and opportunities for specialist units

Martin

Kelly

Jackson

et al. 2017

JCRPP

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Structured Abstract PurposeDrawing on literature from the field and the recent experience of an evaluation into a child abuse investigation in Scotland, this paper will argue that evidence from the literature suggests that a more holistic approach drawing on the ideas of communities of practice could improve the way in which child abuse investigations are conducted. DesignThis article has been informed by a recent evaluation of a new national unit that was set up to investigate suspected child abuse in Scotland. This unit was established as part of the transition from eight regional police services in Scotland to a single national police service, Police Scotland. An important part of this evaluation was to consider the messages from previous research into the development of national police units and the role of the police in child protection investigations more generally. FindingsWhat was uncovered were the challenges that police officers face in the current context of child abuse investigation particularly around construction of child abuse investigations, collaborative working, staff well-being, and training. ValueThis paper contributes to a growing body of work examining the way in which child abuse investigations are conducted by police and the importance of inter-agency collaboration to support this. It contributes to academic debates and knowledge about the overall investigation process where to date there has been a paucity of literature and research which has tended to focus on evidence and experiences and to a boarder literature recognising the need for holistic approaches to approaches to tackle Child Abuse Article Classification Viewpoint

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“…Recent years have seen a growing interest in the impact of trauma on emergency personnel, and it has been argued that they may experience an increased risk of developing symptoms of post-traumatic stress as a result of incidents at work (Chamberlin & Green, 2010 ;Mitani, Fujita, Nakata, & Shirakawa, 2006 ;Hill & Brunsden, 2009 ;Ward, Lombard, & Gwebushe, 2006 ). Therefore, employers have a duty of care to protect their staff against the effects of stress and trauma (e.g., Deahl et al, 2000 ;Hobbs & Keane, 1996 ;MacEachern, Jindal-Snape, & Jackson, 2011 ). Optimal workplaces recognize and value the needs of employees beyond their specifi c job and work duties to address the "whole person" (Burchell & Robin, 2011 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retirement Policies and Support for Emergency Service Personnel: The Transition to Retirement

2016

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The aim of this study was to explore policies and procedures to support employees who retire from the emergency services. Interviews were conducted with participants who were familiar with existing policies and procedures in a large ambulance (n = 8) and fire (n = 6) service in Ireland. Four key themes were identified: (1) "I don't think it's a job at 65 to be running out on an emergency ambulance"; (2) "They do genuinely feel a wee bit isolated"; (3) improving the "cultural shock"; and (4) "I just keep going and hope for the best". Findings point towards retirement as a major life change and highlight a need for more structured, effective pre-retirement preparation. Factors unique to emergency service personnel include the physical and emotional stress involved in emergency service; a strong identification with the service; and a lack of clarity about rules and entitlements, requiring better information and preparation.

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Child Abuse Investigation: Police Officers and Secondary Traumatic Stress

Cited by 27 publications

References 17 publications

Secondary Traumatic Stress: Prevalence and Symptomology Amongst Detective Officers Investigating Child Protection Cases

Secondary Traumatic Stress: Prevalence and Symptomology Amongst Detective Officers Investigating Child Protection Cases

Policing child abuse: challenges and opportunities for specialist units

Retirement Policies and Support for Emergency Service Personnel: The Transition to Retirement

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