The emotional impact on and coping strategies employed by police teams investigating internet child exploitation
Date
2008
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
Traumatology
Abstract
Work on Internet child exploitation (ICE) teams
require individuals to perform a number of investigative
tasks, including viewing graphic images and
videos of young children being sexually assaulted and
tortured, to identify victims and locate perpetrators.
Individuals involved in this work may be at higher
risk for experiencing secondary traumatic stress
because of the graphic images and sounds to which
they are exposed. The impact of ICE investigations
and what helps and hinders coping with the work
was explored using the Critical Incident Technique
with 14 members of a Royal Canadian Mounted
Police integrated ICE team. Results suggest that
there are a number of organizational and personal
strategies that can assist those who work in this field
to cope more effectively.
Description
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Article
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Keywords
coping, law enforcement, secondary traumatic stress, vicarious trauma
Citation
Burns, C. M., Morley, J., Bradshaw, R., & Domene, J. (2008). The emotional impact on and coping strategies employed by police teams investigating internet child exploitation. Traumatology, 14(2), 20.