Attending to Our Own Trauma: Promoting Vicarious Resilience and Preventing Vicarious Traumatization among Researchers.

This article explores the phenomenon of vicarious trauma—the cognitive and emotional effects of secondary exposure to traumatic material—among research assistants (RAs) working on a homicide research team. Through qualitative focus groups, interviews, and surveys with 11 RAs, the study found that all participants experienced some degree of traumatization from reading homicide case files, with impacts varying based on case content, workload, personal passion, and prior experience. The research highlights that trauma-informed policies, including training on vicarious trauma and resilience, workload flexibility, mandatory breaks, and supportive leadership practices, were central to promoting RA well-being and fostering vicarious resilience. The findings suggest that research teams studying traumatic topics have an ethical responsibility to implement such strategies to prevent burnout, support mental health, and sustain accurate and effective research over time.