Secondary traumatic stress in police officers investigating childhood sexual abuse.

Background: Previous research has indicated that helping professionals working with traumatised individuals are susceptible to adverse effects which can be recognised as Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS). Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional, quantitative design. An online questionnaire was completed by 101 Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU) police officers in England and Wales. STS, coping strategies, anxiety, depression and demographic information was collected for all participants. Results: It was indicated that increased exposure to Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA), measured by number on interviews in the past six months, was associated to higher levels of STS. Positive coping strategies, negative coping strategies, anxiety and depression all had a strong, positive relationship with STS. Conclusions: This paper is a first step to understanding STS in CAIU police officers in the England and Wales. This area of research remains under-developed and would benefit from further attention in the future