Helping Direct and Indirect Victims of National Terror: Experiences of Israeli Social Workers

Abstract

In this study we explored the subjective experience and the meaning attached to it by Israeli social workers who provide help to direct and indirect victims of national terror attacks. A qualitative methodology, based on grounded theory tradition, was used to conduct and analyze interviews with 29 social workers from three types of agencies (municipal social services, general hospitals, and the National Insurance Institute) from various parts of the country. Based on the data, three main themes were constructed: (a) professional and personal functioning during intervention, (b) the immediate and long-term impact of intervening with terror attacks, and (c) the meaning attached to the social worker's role in intervening with victims. Overall, the findings show that the social workers experienced symptoms similar to those of secondary traumatic stress disorder (STSD) for a few days only, but in the long-term, they perceived their experience of helping victims of terror attacks as leading to personal and professional growth.

Vicarious posttraumatic growth: A systematic literature review

“…In contrast, several studies included in this review reported a positive association between VPTG and secondary traumatic stress (e.g., Davis & Macdonald, 2004;Kjellenberg et al, 2014). One explanation of these results may be that, prior to experiencing VPTG, individuals experience initial shock, devastation, and the shattering of their assumptions about themselves and the world (O'Sullivan & Whelan, 2011;Shamai & Ron, 2009;Splevins et al, 2010). This experience may provide the foundation for VPTG and secondary traumatic stress to develop simultaneously, contributing to the positive association reported between the two phenomena.…”

“…Professionals working with refugees experienced changes in their values and priorities, spiritual growth, greater personal strength, and enhanced interpersonal relationships (Barrington & ShakespeareFinch, 2013), all consistent with Tedeschi and Calhoun's (1996) conceptualisation of direct posttraumatic growth. Similar changes were noted among psychotherapists (Arnold et al, 2005), social workers (Shamai & Ron, 2009), interpreters (Splevins et al, 2010), and support workers (Guhan & Liebling-Kalifani, 2011).…”

“…Participants spoke of the realisation that their work was valuable, that they had the ability to make a difference in the lives of direct trauma survivors, and that their experience had enhanced their professional capabilities (Barrington & Shakespeare-Finch, 2013;Guhan & Liebling-Kalifani, 2011;Bentar, 2000;Satkunanayagam, Tunariu, & Tribe, 2010;Shamai & Ron, 2009;Splevins et al, 2010). Overall, VPTG made participants feel more competent in their workplace.…”

“…Several articles reported a positive association between these two variables (Brockhouse et al, 2011;Linley & Joseph, 2007), and qualitative studies described how experiencing empathy for direct survivors spurred participants' own psychological growth (Shamai & Ron, 2009;Splevins et al, 2010). It appears that empathetic engagement enables helping professionals to metaphorically apply the traumatic event to their own lives, facilitating VPTG (Linley & Joseph, 2007;Shamai & Ron, 2009;Splevins et al, 2010). However, no relationship was found between empathy and VPTG among telephone counsellors (O'Sullivan & Whelan, 2011) or those vicariously exposed to the September 11 terrorist attacks (Davis & Macdonald, 2004).…”

“…Helping professionals working with refugees (Barrington & Shakespeare-Finch, 2013), interpreters (Splevins et al, 2010), and social workers (Shamai & Ron, 2009) reported that over time their levels of distress decreased and were replaced by personal growth. This may suggest a temporal sequence to the psychological outcome of vicarious traumatic exposure: perhaps it is natural for professionals to react initially with distress, but over time they are able to process and find meaning in the event, resulting in VPTG.…”