Date of Award
Fall 12-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department/Program
Forensic Mental Health Counseling
Language
English
First Advisor or Mentor
Deryn Strange
Second Reader
Charles Stone
Third Advisor
Kelly McWilliams
Abstract
This study sought to examine laypeople’s perceptions of secondary trauma experienced by criminal justice system workers. Specifically, how these perceptions of exposure to secondary trauma influence laypeople’s perceptions of those workers’ memory ability. To investigate these perceptions, we collected data from 70 participants in a Pilot Study, 383 participants in Study 1, and 408 participants in a Replication of Study 1 regarding their perceptions of secondary trauma in various criminal justice careers. Specifically, using a modified Autobiographically Memory Questionnaire to examine how their perceptions of secondary trauma exposure affects their perceptions of memory ability in these workers. We also collected data on participants’ trauma concepts using a Trauma Breadth Scale and their current affect using the PANAS-X scale. Overall, our findings suggest that laypeople overestimate secondary trauma that is experienced by criminal justice workers across differing careers and amounts of time spent in the career. Specifically, participants with a broader concept of trauma perceived workers to experience more secondary trauma, with their affect not playing a significant role. Finally, the more likely participants were to perceive these workers to experience secondary trauma, the more likely they were to perceive their memory for events to be real and accurate when recalled. We hope our findings can be used to better inform laypeople and jurors in a court room on criminal justice workers’ trauma memory when taking the stand.
Recommended Citation
Simone, Mariah, "Laypeople’s Perceptions of Secondary Trauma in Criminal Justice System Workers" (2023). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/jj_etds/301