Vicarious Trauma in Counterterrorism Practitioners
Project Summary
How are counterterrorism practitioners affected by exposure to violent material? As scholars or managers in the field, we simply do not know the answer. The expertise that the counterterrorism workforce possess have protected and strengthened our country from evolving foreign and domestic threats. However, insights from multiple disciplines, notably counseling, indicate it is possible that practitioners experience vicarious trauma through repeated exposure to violent materials. The purpose of this project is to develop a baseline understanding of how practitioners are affected by exposure to violence and the implications this may have on the resilience of and future development of the homeland security workforce. Considering exposure levels, a key outcome of the project is the development of survey instruments to establish whether vicarious trauma is affecting the counterterrorism workforce. A second key outcome is developing tools to mitigate these potential harmful impacts on the counterterrorism workforce to increase US homeland security.
Funder(s)
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T)
National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE)
Award(s)
$350,000 (DHS S&T)
$300,000 (NCITE)
Principal Investigator(s)
Joe Young, American University
Susanna Campbell, American University (Co-PI)
Daisy Muibu, National Defense University (Co-PI)
Partner(s)
Project Status
Active