The Hazards of Investigating Internet Crimes Against Children: Digital Evidence Handlers’ Experiences with Vicarious Trauma and Coping Behaviors

Over the last two decades there has been a substantive increase in the number of cybercrime and digital forensic units in local and state police agencies across the US. There is, however, little research on the occupational responses of individuals serving in specialized roles within criminal justic...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Burruss, George W. (Author) ; Holt, Thomas J. (Author) ; Wall-Parker, April (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2018
In: American journal of criminal justice
Year: 2018, Volume: 43, Issue: 3, Pages: 433-447
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Keywords:
Cybercrime
Child Pornography
Digital forensic investigation
Policing
Occupational responses
vicarious trauma
Description
Summary:Over the last two decades there has been a substantive increase in the number of cybercrime and digital forensic units in local and state police agencies across the US. There is, however, little research on the occupational responses of individuals serving in specialized roles within criminal justice agencies. Individuals tasked to these units are likely to encounter psychologically harmful materials on a regular basis due to the number of child pornography and sexual exploitation cases they are assigned. As a result, this study examined the experiences of vicarious trauma and coping behaviors of digital forensic examiners in a sample culled from across the country. The findings suggest that exposure to content involving crimes against children directly and indirectly increases the likelihood of trauma and incidence of coping strategies employed.
ISSN:1936-1351
DOI:10.1007/s12103-017-9417-3