Title: What is Vicarious Trauma? | What is Vicarious Trauma? | OVC
Headings: What is Vicarious Trauma?
What is Vicarious Trauma?
What Happens to Those Exposed to Vicarious Trauma?
Who Is at Risk of Being Affected by Vicarious Trauma?
What Are Some Common Negative Reactions to Vicarious Trauma?
Suggestions for Coworkers
Suggestions for Supervisors
Suggestions for Family Members
For More Information About Vicarious Trauma
Education and Awareness
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Prevalence and Risk Factors
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Impact
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Content: The Vicarious Trauma Toolkit (VTT) introduces a new model for examining and conceptualizing the impact of vicarious trauma and the reactions and experiences of victim service providers and first responders. The VTT also introduces the roles and responsibilities of organizations in addressing the negative impact of this occupational challenge on their employees. While individuals respond to vicarious trauma in a number of ways, a change in their world-view is considered inevitable —people can either become more cynical or fearful, or they can become more appreciative of what they have, or both. Responses to vicarious trauma can be negative, neutral, or positive; can change over time; and can vary from individual to individual, particularly with prolonged exposure. The chart below illustrates the VTT Model. Vicarious traumatization is a negative reaction to trauma exposure and includes a range of psychosocial symptoms. ( In the VTT, the term “vicarious traumatization” is used broadly to include other related terms such as secondary traumatic stress (STS), compassion fatigue (CF), and critical incident stress (CIS). These terms, often used interchangeably, have distinct and overlapping definitions, as illustrated in the Glossary of Terms .)