Parenthood, a double-edged sword

Abstract

Vicarious trauma (VT) is well-documented among professionals who are frequently exposed to details of others’ traumatic experiences. While there are some known protective buffers against VT, such as social support, it is unclear whether the role of parenthood offers similar protective benefits. This study examined whether forensic professionals who are parents experience lower rates of VT than non-parents, both generally and in the context of frequent exposure to traumatic child-related cases. Survey data from 585 forensic professionals were analyzed to test (1) the main effect of parental status on VT and (2) whether parental status moderates the relationship between child-related case exposure and VT. Results indicated that, on average, parents reported significantly lower VT than non-parents, suggesting a generally protective effect. However, a significant interaction revealed that among professionals frequently exposed to traumatic child-related cases, parents reported higher VT symptoms than their non-parent counterparts. Findings suggest a context-specific effect of parental status: parenthood may serve as a protective factor at low levels of child-related trauma exposure but become a risk factor at higher exposure levels. Future research should further explore how congruency between a practitioner’s homelife and casework impacts risk for VT. Results also call for more targeted VT training and intervention among forensics professionals.