Title: The Connection Between Social Work and Secondary Trauma
Headings: The Connection Between Social Work and Secondary Trauma
The Connection Between Social Work and Secondary Trauma
Vicarious vs. Secondary Trauma in Social Work: What’s the Difference?
Examples of Vicarious and Secondary Trauma in Social Work
When Social Workers Experience Trauma
Signs of Secondary and Vicarious Trauma in Social Work
How to Manage, Treat, and Prevent Vicarious and Secondary Trauma
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Last Update: 02-12-2020

Content: Anyone can experience it. For example, a person who witnesses a natural disaster or who sees someone else get into a car wreck can face secondary trauma. In a social work context, a single session with a traumatized person may trigger symptoms of secondary trauma. This might happen when: A social worker listens to a client’s story of being raped, assaulted, or abused. A client or a client’s close family member dies or suffers a serious injury. A social worker witnesses abuse in the context of social work, such as when a parent verbally abuses a child in family therapy. Vicarious trauma is a longer-term reaction to the accumulation of exposure to traumatic events. It happens when a person faces continuous exposure to trauma. Some examples might include: