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Vicarious trauma and emotional labour in researching child sexual abuse and child protection: a postdoctoral reflection
Citation
Guerzoni, MA, Vicarious trauma and emotional labour in researching child sexual abuse and child protection: a postdoctoral reflection, Methodological Innovations pp. 1-8. ISSN 2059-7991 (2020) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2020 The Author. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
DOI: doi:10.1177/2059799120926342
Abstract
Criminology almost inevitably involves the study of sensitive and sorrowful research topics. Consequently, criminologists fall
victim to the inherent risks of exposure to vicarious trauma, requiring many to practice emotional labour in the field, in the
lecture hall, and perhaps, even along the corridors of the university campus itself. This article offers a reflective account of the
experiences of vicarious trauma and the self-imposed, protective practice of emotional labour within doctoral research on
child protection initiatives within a religious institution. It explores my experience of self-regulating my emotions in response
to the reading of disturbing content, and of the active filtering of points of conversation when asked about my research
within professional, familial and social settings, to prevent disturbing the emotions of others. The article encourages potential
doctoral students to consider how they might prepare for themselves emotionally, socially and physically, for their inevitable
encounter with difficult content, prior to the commencement of candidature, thereby increasing their resilience in facing the
difficult components of a doctoral degree tasked with exploring content of a bleak and emotionally unnerving nature.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | emotional labour, criminology, child sexual abuse, vicarious trauma, sensitive research |
Research Division: | Human Society |
Research Group: | Criminology |
Research Field: | Criminology not elsewhere classified |
Objective Division: | Law, Politics and Community Services |
Objective Group: | Justice and the law |
Objective Field: | Criminal justice |
UTAS Author: | Guerzoni, MA (Dr Michael Guerzoni) |
ID Code: | 140936 |
Year Published: | 2020 |
Deposited By: | Office of the School of Social Sciences |
Deposited On: | 2020-09-15 |
Last Modified: | 2021-04-26 |
Downloads: | 19 View Download Statistics |
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