These summaries were written by SVPEP staff and are based on original papers published within the last 6 years. The information available on this web site is provided as a public service and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the Arizona Department of Health Services, or the University of Arizona. To conduct an individual search or locate older articles use the Search Summary Database which includes over 600 articles related to sexual violence.

Hellman, C. & House, D. (2006). Volunteers serving victims of sexual assault. Journal of Social Psychology, 146, 117-123. [Posted October 2006]

Key Points: Sexual violence crisis hotline and hospital advocate volunteers were most satisfied with their work when they were emotionally attached to the agency and attended monthly meetings that they found helpful. Satisfied volunteers intended to stay in their positions. 

Summary: In this study, researchers looked at factors associated with volunteer satisfaction, commitment, and intent to continue volunteering. Twenty-eight sexual violence crisis hotline and hospital advocate volunteers filled out mail-in surveys. Satisfied volunteers were more likely to report intending to remain in their positions. Compared with less satisfied volunteers, satisfied volunteers reported higher levels of feelings of competence, social support, and emotional attachment to the agency. They also reported finding monthly agency meetings more valuable and had lower levels of exposure to victim blaming from other service providers.

This is a very small sample, but it reaches the same conclusions as previous research. The authors recommended on-going training for volunteers, including skills-building to confront victim-blaming among other service providers. By addressing these issues, volunteers may be more satisfied, which may lead to better retention.

Topics: Advocate self-care; rape crisis centers; victim services

Trippany, R. L., White Kress, V. E., & Wilcoxon, S. A. (2004). Preventing vicarious trauma: What counselors should know when working with trauma survivors. Journal of Counseling & Development, 82, 31-37.

This article offers a recent review of the literature on the impact of vicarious trauma (VT) with an emphasis on prevention. VT is defined as a secondary trauma response resulting from contact with trauma survivors’ experiences. Symptoms include disruptions in cognitive schemas, memory systems, and belief systems. Two similar conditions, burnout and countertransference, are compared and contrasted to VT. As a unique condition, VT is believed to occur only among counselors of trauma survivors. The symptoms are directly related to clients’ trauma experiences, onset of symptoms is abrupt, and changes that occur involve core aspects of the counselor’s self. Consequently, VT can have significantly detrimental effects on a counselor’s personal and professional life. The Constructivist Self-Development Theory (CSDT) is presented as a model for VT intervention. CSDT states that five basic components of the self (frame of reference, self-capacities, ego resources, psychological needs, and cognitive schemas, memory, and perception) affect one’s construction of reality. Reducing caseload, increasing peer supervision, increasing agency responsibility, providing additional education and training, enhancing personal coping mechanisms, and developing a sense of spirituality are offered as examples for self-care. By regularly incorporating the five component areas into personal and professional self-care guidelines, counselors can not only reduce the harmful effects of VT but develop useful support mechanisms as well.

Topics: Advocate self-care; rape crisis centers

Wasco, S., & Campbell, R. (2002). Emotional reactions of rape victim advocates: A multiple case study of anger and fear. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 26, 120-130.

This study evaluates rape victim advocates’ emotional responses to their work. Qualitative analysis was conducted on the emotional reactions of women who support rape victims through the criminal justice process and through other services provided after the assault (physical and mental). Results showed that women respond to individual factors and environmental factors surrounding rape with emotions of fear and anger. Also, some rape victim advocates viewed their emotional responses as beneficial to the victim specifically and within their work in general.

Topics: Advocate self-care; rape crisis centers; victim services

Wasco, S., Campbell, R., & Clark, M. (2002). A multiple case study of rape victim advocates’ self-care routines: The influence of organizational context. American Journal of Community Psychology, 30, 731-760.

The purpose of this study was to examine how rape advocates cope with their job which includes repeated exposure to rape victims and their experiences. Qualitative analysis was conducted on the types of self-care strategies used and the organizational settings of the work place of rape victim advocates. This study further evaluated the relationship between the advocates’ use of self-care strategies and organizational support provided. Results indicate that self-care routines were derived from various resources and provided the benefit of “cathartic releasing of traumatic material”, and “improving capacity to integrate traumatic material into one’s life.” Several organizational characteristics reviewed in this study were reported as being supportive. All of the victim advocates reported using self-care strategies; however, those who worked in organizations with higher levels of support were able to benefit from a combination of both self-care and organizational support methods.

Topics: Advocate self-care; rape crisis centers; victim services

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updated 09/16/07