Vicarious trauma and emotional labour in researching child sexual abuse and child protection: A postdoctoral reflection

Criminology almost inevitably involves the study of sensitive and sorrowful research topics. Consequently, criminologists fallvictim to the inherent risks of exposure to vicarious trauma, requiring many to practice emotional labour in the field, in thelecture hall, and perhaps, even along the corridors of the university campus itself. This article offers a reflective account of theexperiences of vicarious trauma and the self-imposed, protective practice of emotional labour within doctoral research onchild protection initiatives within a religious institution. It explores my experience of self-regulating my emotions in responseto the reading of disturbing content, and of the active filtering of points of conversation when asked about my researchwithin professional, familial and social settings, to prevent disturbing the emotions of others. The article encourages potentialdoctoral students to consider how they might prepare for themselves emotionally, socially and physically, for their inevitableencounter with difficult content, prior to the commencement of candidature, thereby increasing their resilience in facing thedifficult components of a doctoral degree tasked with exploring content of a bleak and emotionally unnerving nature