NCJ Number
251274
Date Published
2010
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This guide suggests ways in which family and friends can provide support to criminal justice personnel who are coping with stressors due to involvement in work that includes the viewing of distressing images of child sexual abuse.
Abstract
This guide is a component of the instructional material provided by Supporting Heroes in Foundational Mental Health Training (SHIFT), which is funded by the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). The family and friends of criminal justice personnel undergoing stressors due to their exposure to child pornography cases are first instructed in the nature and scope of the graphic images of child sexual abuse. This is followed by instruction in the possible adverse effects of viewing child pornography in the course of investigating or processing such cases. Signs and symptoms of trauma from involvement in this work are then outlined, as well as the impact of such trauma on the entire family. Questions are posed and answered regarding personal reactions of family and friends to the loved-one's trauma. Guidance for family members and friends includes suggestions for self-care and the establishment of a support network for the person undergoing trauma. Information is provided on additional assistance resources.