The Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) is working to build an evidence- based research on the impact of sexual violence. Working with victims of sexual violence can be difficult. ^{1 2} The most effective way to support such research is to develop and retain a skilled research workforce but there is international literature gap on how best to support sexual violence researchers in different countries and contexts.

The above quote highlights, how listening to stories of pain and trauma can impact researchers both physically and emotionally.⁴ Researching with sexual violence survivors can be traumatic. The effects of being indirect witnesses of trauma and abuse can result in secondary traumatic stress or vicarious trauma. Vicarious trauma is defined as “the transformation of the therapist’s or helper’s inner experience as a result of empathetic engagement with survivor clients and their trauma material”.3

As researchers working on sexual violence, we are exposed to some of the most painful and sensitive personal experiences of violence, humiliation and abuse. Vicarious trauma is a process which impacts on different people in different ways. The impact on researchers is related to the trauma they are exposed to, their own characteristics and history, the research methods they use, their support systems, and context in which they do their research. It is a pervasive feature of working with traumatised clients and is a cumulative response to traumatic material. It can be triggered by either a one-off exposure to a significant issue or repeated exposure to a range of issues and incidents. It can have a profound impact on individuals, no less debilitating than the primary trauma.³

We need to recognise the impact of researching sensitive topics and develop strategies to support the research team to identify, manage and where possible prevent vicarious trauma. Context and support for researchers varies across the world. Researchers who presented at the recent SVRI Forum 2009 worked in war zones and refugee camps, in countries where sexual violence was condoned and in others where it was not, but endemic none the less. This webpage provides you with resources and information on vicarious trauma.

1. Campbell R. Emotionally Involved. London: Routledge, 2002.
2. Coles J, Mudaly N. Staying Safe: Strategies for child abuse researchers. Child Abuse Review 2009. DOI: 10.1002/car.1080
3. Pearlman L, Saakvitne K, editors. Trauma and the therapist: Countertransference and vicarious traumatization in psychotherapy with incest survivors. New York: Norton and Company Inc, 1995.
4. San Jose, M.C.C., Helping Ourselves To Help Others. Self-Care Guide For Those Who Work In The Field Of Family Violence, Pan-American Health Organization's Women, Health, and Development Program, Costa Rica October, 1999

• Countertransference in the Initial Visit of Women Victims of Sexual Violence. Eizirik M, Schestatsky S, Kruel L, Ceitlin L.H. Rev Bras Psiquiatr; ePub, 2010  
• Staying Safe: Strategies for Qualitative Child Abuse Researchers. Coles J & Mudaly N. Child Abuse Review Vol. 19: 56–69, 2010
  
• Developing Distress Protocols for Research on Sensitive Topics. Burke Draucker C, Martsolf D.S, Poole C. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing; 23 (5), 343-350, 2009.
• Secondary traumatic stress among domestic violence advocates: workplace risk and protective factors. Slattery SM, Goodman LA. Violence Against Women; 15(11): 1358-79. 2009.
• Staying Safe: Strategies for Qualitative Child Abuse Researchers. Coles, J., & Mudaly, N. [In press] . Child Abuse Review. 2009.
• Trauma Training, Trauma Practices, and Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Substance Abuse Counselors. Brian E. Bride, Schnavia Smith Hatcher & Michael N. Humble. Traumatology , Vol. 15, No. 2, 96-105.  2009.
• Vicarious Traumatization: The Impact on Therapists Who Work With Sexual Offenders. Heather M. Moulden and Philip Firestone. Trauma Violence Abuse, 8: 67 - 83. 2007
• Understanding Rape and Sexual Assault: 20 Years of Progress and Future Directions. Rebecca Campbell and Sharon M. Wasco.  J Interpers Violence, 20: 127 - 131. 2005  
• Understanding Rape and Sexual Assault: 20 Years of Progress and Future Directions. Rebecca Campbell and Sharon M. Wasco. J Interpers Violence, 20; 127. 2005
• Ethics in Violence Against Women Research: The Sensitive, the Dangerous, and the Overlooked. Fontes, L.A., Ethics & Behavior, 14(2), 141–174, 2004. (pdf format, 128 kb)
• Secondary Trauma: How Working with Trauma Survivors Affects Therapists. Amy R. Hesse. Clinical Social Work Journal. 2004.  
• Vicarious Trauma: A Comparison of Clinicians Who Treat Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Offenders. Ineke Way, Karen M. VanDeusen, Gail MartIn, Brooks Applegate, and Deborah Jandle. J Interpers Violence, January, 19: 49 - 71. 2004
• Secondary Traumatic Stress Effects of Working With Survivors of Criminal Victimization. MaryDale Salston1 and Charles R. Figley. Jour of Traumatic stress. 2003.
• Vicarious traumatization: Implications for the mental health of health workers?  Sabin-Farrell R., Turpin G. Clinical Psychology Review, 23 (3), pp. 449-480. 2003
  
• A controlled study into the (cognitive) effects of exposure treatment on trauma therapists. Van Minnen A., Keijsers G.P.J. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 31 (3-4), pp. 189-200.  2000.
  
• Helping Ourselves To Help Others. Self-Care Guide For Those Who Work In The Field Of Family Violence. Pan-American Health Organization's Women, Health, and Development Program. Gender and Public Health Series No 7. Costa Rica October, 1999.
• A Phenomenological Study of Vicarious Traumatisation Amongst Psychologists and Professional Counsellors Working in the Field of Sexual Abuse/Assault. Lyndall G Steed and Robyn Downing.The Australasian Journal of Disaster and Trauma Studies, 2. 1998.
• Our own medicine: Traumatized psychotherapists and the stresses of doing therapy. Miller L. Psychotherapy, 35 (2), pp. 137-146.  1998.
• Vicarious trauma: The effects on female counselors of working with sexual violence survivors. Schauben, L.J., & Frazier, P.A. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 19(1), 49-64. 1995
• Vicarious traumatization: An empirical study of the effects of trauma work on trauma therapists. Pearlman, L.A., & Mac Ian, P.S. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 26(6), 558-565. 1995
• Mental health and law enforcement professionals: Trauma history, psychological symptoms, and the impact of providing services to child sexual abuse survivors. Follette, V.M., Polusny, M.M., & Milbeck, K.  Professional Psychology, 25(3), 275-282. 1994.
• Vicarious traumatization: A framework for understanding the psychological effects of working with victims. McCann, I.L., & Pearlman, L.A.  Journal of Traumatic Stress, 3 131 - 149. 1990.

• Briefing Paper: Researcher Trauma, Safety and Sexual Violence Research. SVRI, May 2010 (pdf format, 420 kb)

• Emotionally Involved. The Impact of Researching Rape. Rebecca Campbell. Routledge. 2002. 
• Trauma and the Therapist. Countertransference and Vicarious Traumatization in Psychotherapy with Incest Survivors . Laurie Anne Pearlman, Karen W. Saakvitne.  1995.

• California Coalition Against Sexual Assault: Addressing Potential Trauma When Conducting Research.
• The Julian Centre
• Vicarious Trauma Institute