Secondary traumatic stress among domestic violence advocates: workplace risk and protective factors.
This study identified workplace factors associated with secondary traumatic stress (STS) in a sample of 148 domestic violence advocates working in diverse settings. Findings indicate that coworker support and quality clinical supervision are critical to emotional well-being and that an environment in which there is shared power-that is, respect for diversity, mutuality, and consensual decision making-provides better protection for advocates than more traditional, hierarchical organizational models. Furthermore, shared power emerged as the only workplace variable to significantly predict STS above and beyond individual factors. The discussion includes implications for practice and policy as well as directions for future research.
Slattery
Suzanne M
SM
Berklee College of Music, 1140 Boylston Street MS-939 CAC, Boston, MA 02215-3693, USA. sslattery@berklee.edu
Goodman
Lisa A
LA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D012947:Social Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014931:Women, Working / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology*; D017132:Workplace; D055815:Young Adult