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Feeling with the Victim: Empathy for Suffering as a Job Stressor in Internet Child Exploitation Investigation

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Investigating internet child exploitation cases poses unique challenges for law enforcement employees, particularly investigators, who are routinely exposed to traumatic material depicting the suffering of victims. We posit that the primary source of stress in internet child exploitation investigation stems not from the exposure to the material per se, but rather from investigators' empathy for the suffering of the victims depicted in the material. Drawing from the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, our study investigates the relationship between empathy for suffering and the experiences of burnout and posttraumatic stress disorder among investigators in internet child exploitation cases. Additionally, we explore the moderating effect of social support from colleagues on these relationships. In our online study involving 168 investigators of internet child exploitation (90 women), we sought to emphasize the role of empathy for suffering as a key factor in stress reactions. Our findings indicate that, beyond mere exposure, empathy for suffering is positively correlated with posttraumatic stress disorder and burnout (i.e., emotional exhaustion and cynicism). Furthermore, our study provides partial support for the moderating effect of social support from colleagues on investigators' stress responses to both empathy for suffering and exposure. Our findings indicate that empathy for suffering emerges as a central job stressor, while social support serves as a crucial job resource for mitigating this stress in the context of child exploitation investigation. These results carry implications for risk assessment and health promotion within the realm of internet child exploitation investigations, opening up a broad avenue for further research.

Source: Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology

DOI: 10.1007/s11896-024-09720-8

Authors: Nicolai Johannes Kleineidam, Andrea Fischbach

Institution: German Police University

Language: English

Topic: Stress and Burnout Research

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Decent work and economic growth, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,190