Sekundär traumatisering är ett tillstånd som kan drabba yrkesverksamma som arbetar i människobehandlande yrken med traumautsatta klienter. Att bli sekundärt traumatiserad innebär att socialarbetaren blir traumatiserad av klientens berättelser. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka socialarbetarens förståelse och upplevelser av fenomenet sekundär traumatisering samt om och hur hälsan påverkas hos socialarbetare till följd av emotionellt påfrestande arbetsuppgifter. Studien ska även undersöka vilka strategier socialarbetare tillämpar för att minimera risken att utsättas för sekundär traumatisering. Genom en kvalitativ forskningsmetod har fem intervjuer ägt rum med socialsekreterare som arbetar inom socialtjänsten. Resultatet visar på att socialarbetare är en utsatt yrkesgrupp där arbetsuppgifterna ökar risken att utsättas för sekundär traumatisering. Genom intervjusvaren visar samtliga respondenter på symptom på sekundär traumatisering. Resultaten har analyserats utifrån Lazarus (1999) copingteori samt Antonovskys (2005) KASAM, känsla av sammanhang. Den sekundära traumatiseringens omfattning regleras utifrån arbetsmiljö, tidigare erfarenheter av trauma, egna strategier och egenvård. Resultatet visar även på att socialarbetare som tillämpar egna strategier för att uppnå välbefinnande löper lägre risk att utsättas för sekundär traumatisering. De copingstrategier som används som skyddsfaktorer är ventilering med kollegor, känslan av meningsfullhet kopplat till arbetet samt återhämtning. Studien visar även på att socialarbetarnas privatliv påverkas av deras yrkesroll. / Secondary traumatization is a condition that can affect professionals who work in human treatment professions with trauma-exposed clients. Secondarily traumatized means that the social worker is traumatized by the client's stories. This study aims to investigate the social worker's understanding and experiences of the phenomenon of secondary traumatization and if and how the health of social workers is affected as a result of emotionally stressful tasks. The study will also examine what strategies social workers apply to minimize the risk of being exposed to secondary traumatization. Through a qualitative research method, five interviews have taken place with social workers who work in the social services. The results show that social workers are a vulnerable professional group where the tasks increase the risk of being exposed to secondary traumatization. Through the interview responses, all respondents show symptoms of secondary traumatization. The results have been analyzed based on Lazarus' (1999) coping theory and Antonovskys (2005) SOC, sense of coherence. The extent of secondary traumatization is regulated based on the work environment, previous experiences of trauma, own strategies and self-care. The results also show that social workers who apply their own strategies to achieve well-being are at lower risk of being exposed to secondary traumatization. The coping strategies used as protective factors are venting with colleagues, the feeling of meaningfulness linked to work and recovery. The study also shows that the social workers' private life is affected by their professional role.

Paternal incest is the intimate sexual contact between biological, step or foster fathers and their children. These father-figures include the live-in partners of the non-offending mother. The actual incidence of paternal incest in South Africa is not known; however, the South African Police Services report the incidence of incest in the Western Cape for 2011/2012 to be the second highest in South Africa. When children reveal the incest to any person, this is called disclosure. After disclosure and with the removal of the paternal figure from the family unit, the mother or grandmother is responsible for the sole care of the child-victim and becomes the primary caregiver. However, in the South African context it is traditionally accepted that the grandmother assumes the role of primary caregiver of the child where the child’s mother and/or father are unable to fulfil their parental role adequately. Therefore in this study, “primary caregivers” refers to mothers and maternal grandmothers. In the South African context, limited studies have been done that explore the experiences of primary caregivers whose children or grandchildren were exposed to paternal incest. There is also a lack of information on how to support these primary caregivers in the abovementioned context. The aim of this study was firstly to explore the experiences of primary caregivers whose children or grandchildren were exposed to paternal incest and secondly to use these experiences to suggest guidelines that may be utilised by practitioners (such as social workers and registered counsellors) to develop support programmes for these caregivers. The research was conducted at a non-profit organisation in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, that provides psychosocial services and where cases of paternal incest are referred for intervention. A qualitative, phenomenological research design was applied in this study to obtain rich data. Six primary caregivers were chosen through purposive sampling, on the basis that their children or grandchildren were exposed to paternal incest within the last five years. Of these, four were mothers and two were maternal grandmothers who were responsible for the children. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and was analysed thematically. Two main themes emerged from the study. The first theme involved reactions to the disclosure and its aftermath, which encompassed emotional, cognitive and physiological reactions that are similar to secondary traumatisation. The second theme was coping strategies that emerged to deal with the disclosure and its aftermath, which encompassed effective coping strategies (behavioural coping strategies to actively solve problems and the presence of social support), unhealthy or negative coping strategies (behavioural coping strategies of avoidance) and threats to coping (a lack of social support). The contribution of this study lies in the suggestion of guidelines for the support of primary caregivers whose children or grandchildren were exposed to paternal incest. These guidelines include the provision of emotional support, multidisciplinary practitioner support and educational support programmes. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Paternal incest is the intimate sexual contact between biological, step or foster fathers and their children. These father-figures include the live-in partners of the non-offending mother. The actual incidence of paternal incest in South Africa is not known; however, the South African Police Services report the incidence of incest in the Western Cape for 2011/2012 to be the second highest in South Africa. When children reveal the incest to any person, this is called disclosure. After disclosure and with the removal of the paternal figure from the family unit, the mother or grandmother is responsible for the sole care of the child-victim and becomes the primary caregiver. However, in the South African context it is traditionally accepted that the grandmother assumes the role of primary caregiver of the child where the child’s mother and/or father are unable to fulfil their parental role adequately. Therefore in this study, “primary caregivers” refers to mothers and maternal grandmothers. In the South African context, limited studies have been done that explore the experiences of primary caregivers whose children or grandchildren were exposed to paternal incest. There is also a lack of information on how to support these primary caregivers in the abovementioned context. The aim of this study was firstly to explore the experiences of primary caregivers whose children or grandchildren were exposed to paternal incest and secondly to use these experiences to suggest guidelines that may be utilised by practitioners (such as social workers and registered counsellors) to develop support programmes for these caregivers. The research was conducted at a non-profit organisation in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, that provides psychosocial services and where cases of paternal incest are referred for intervention. A qualitative, phenomenological research design was applied in this study to obtain rich data. Six primary caregivers were chosen through purposive sampling, on the basis that their children or grandchildren were exposed to paternal incest within the last five years. Of these, four were mothers and two were maternal grandmothers who were responsible for the children. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and was analysed thematically. Two main themes emerged from the study. The first theme involved reactions to the disclosure and its aftermath, which encompassed emotional, cognitive and physiological reactions that are similar to secondary traumatisation. The second theme was coping strategies that emerged to deal with the disclosure and its aftermath, which encompassed effective coping strategies (behavioural coping strategies to actively solve problems and the presence of social support), unhealthy or negative coping strategies (behavioural coping strategies of avoidance) and threats to coping (a lack of social support). The contribution of this study lies in the suggestion of guidelines for the support of primary caregivers whose children or grandchildren were exposed to paternal incest. These guidelines include the provision of emotional support, multidisciplinary practitioner support and educational support programmes. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The aim of this study is to investigate and analyze the potential effects on a number of social workers that may arise from listening to stories of domestic violence, and how these social workers deal with the potential effects. The study is based on qualitative interviews with seven social workers that work with domestic violence. The theoretical perspective that we used was the theory of coping. The results of this study have indicated that the respondents have been affected of listening to the stories of domestic violence. Examples of different impacts that the work has had on some of the social workers is that they avoid movies and/or books with elements of violence, they are more aware of the domestic violence in the surroundings and there has also been changes in their cognitive schemas. The respondents have also developed coping strategies such as feelings to cope with a situation and collegial support. Another significant coping strategy is the organizational aspects such as professional tutoring, a balance in the workload and additional education. The aforementioned results and the results from previous studies are comparable, and we have been able to identify some similarities, which could indicate vicarious traumatization.

Syftet med den här uppsatsen är att belysa det organisatoriska samt kollegiala stödets betydelse i förebyggandet av sekundär traumatisering. Sekundär traumatisering är ett fenomen som drabbar flera yrkesgrupper, däribland socionomer. Följderna av sekundär traumatisering kan påverka den drabbades privat- samt yrkesliv och det kan i vissa fall leda till utbrändhet, PTSD eller PTSD-liknande symtom. Uppsatsen är av kvalitativt slag och använder sig av semistrukturerade intervjuer med socionomer för att för att få en fördjupad förståelse för deras upplevelser av det förebyggande arbetet mot sekundär traumatisering. Tidigare forskning har framförallt fokuserat på individuella copingstrategier för att förebygga sekundär traumatisering och mindre på det kollegiala samt organisatoriska stödets betydelse i frågan. Resultatet från det insamlade materialet analyseras i en tematisk analys genom de teoretiska perspektiven organisationskultur och känsloarbete samt psykosocial arbetsmiljö. Resultaten visar att det organisatoriska och kollegiala stödet uttrycks ha en stor betydelse för det förebyggande arbetet av sekundär traumatisering. Trots detta visar resultaten av vår studie också att mycket av detta ansvar istället hamnar hos individen. Studien visar också att det kollegiala stödet uttrycks ha en stor betydelse men att det också har sina begränsningar då det sällan finns några riktlinjer för hur stödet ska vara utformat. Även ansvaret för detta kan felaktigt tillskrivas till individnivå och leda till stress för individen. Tidigare forskning har inte fokuserat på helheten av problemet utan snarare de individuella strategierna. Vi ser därför att det är av stor vikt att framtida forskning fokuserar på även det organisatoriska och kollegiala stödets betydelse i förebyggande av sekundär traumatisering för att lyfta en del av ansvaret ifrån individen.

The purpose of this study is to increase knowledge about how counselors at youth centers deal with emotional burdens like to working with sexually exposed young people. Previous studies have shown that working with trauma can lead to secondary traumatization. There is a particular risk of secondary traumatization if you encounter repeated trauma stories. Counselors at youth centers meet young sexually exposed people for treatment talks.Through semi-structured qualitative interviews with six counselors from six different youth centers the study has observed several coping strategies that the counselors use. These strategies can be categorized into two different themes; individual coping strategies and coping strategies that the organization offers. The individual strategies can be categorized into emotion focused coping strategies and problem focused strategies. The study showed that the councelors mostly used emotion focused strategies like acceptance, distancing, avoiding and social support. The study also showes that the councelors used problem focused strategies like self care, having meaningful leisure time, demand-reducing strategies and setting limits. The study also showes that counselors don´t know of any target documents or routines for managing emotional stress at work.

Att jobba med socialt arbete idag innebär att man i sitt dagliga arbete möter personer på individ-, grupp- och samhällsnivå som befinner sig i någon form av kris. Något som beroende på situationen kan leda till uppkomsten av negativa effekter, exempelvis sekundär traumatisering. Syftet med detta examensarbete var därför att undersöka i vilken utsträckning nyexaminerade socionomer upplever detta fenomen i arbetslivet. Utifrån syfte och frågeställningar sammanställdes fyra teman som undersöktes med hjälp av en kvantitativ ansats där datainsamlingsmetoden bestod av en frågeenkät som besvarades av totalt 126 deltagare. Utifrån resultaten av dessa teman framkom det att majoriteten av deltagarna inte har diskuterat fenomenet under studietiden och att de någon gång har upplevt sekundär traumatisering både i och utanför arbetslivet. Resultatet av den insamlade datan tolkades sedan med hjälp av två teoretiska begrepp: förebyggande och resiliens. Studiens resultat visar vidare på vikten av att informera socionomstudenter om de eventuella riskerna med socialt arbete samt hur dessa kan förebyggas och motverkas. / Working within the social work arena today means that you in your daily work meet people at individual, group and community level who are in some form of crisis. Something that, depending on the situation, can lead to the emergence of negative effects, such as secondary traumatization. The purpose of this thesis was therefore to examine if and to what extent newly graduated sociologists have experienced or are experiencing this phenomenon in their work. Based on the purpose and questions, four themes were compiled that were investigated using a quantitative approach where the data collection method consisted of a questionnaire that was answered by a total of 126 participants. Based on the results of these themes, it appears that the majority of the participants did not discuss the phenomenon during the study period and that they have at some point experienced secondary traumatization outside of and in their work life. The result of the collected data was then interpreted using prevention and resilience as a theoretical outset. These results show the importance of informing sociology students about the possible risks of social work and how these can be prevented and countered.

Syftet med denna kvalitativa studie var att undersöka socialarbetarens förståelse av sekundär traumatisering, samt om de själva eventuellt upplevt eller påverkats av sekundär traumatisering. Studiens material baserar sig på semistrukturerade intervjuer med socialarbetare som arbetar med barn och unga, en målgrupp som anses vara särskilt sårbar för sekundär traumatisering, enligt tidigare forskning. Intervjumaterialet analyserades med hjälp av tematisk analys och utifrån teorierna resiliens och coping. Resultaten visade en brist på kunskap kring sekundär traumatisering hos respondenterna. Samtidigt pekar deras beskrivningar på att de själva upplever symtom på sekundär traumatisering. Studiens slutsats är att kunskap kring sekundär traumatisering saknas bland socialarbetare inom socialtjänsten trots att sekundär traumatisering är en risk för denna yrkesgrupp. / The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine social workers' conceptualisation of secondary traumatization, as well as whether they themselves experience symptoms of secondary traumatization or been affected. The study material is based on semi-structured interviews with social workers who work with children and young people, a group considered particularly vulnerable to secondary traumatization according to previous research. The interview material was analysed using thematic analysis and the theories of resilience and coping. The results indicated a lack of knowledge about secondary traumatization among the respondents. At the same time, their descriptions suggest that they themselves experience symptoms of secondary traumatization. The study's conclusion is that knowledge about secondary traumatization is lacking among social workers in social services, despite secondary traumatization being a risk for this professional group.

The aim of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the experiences and needs of mothers of sexually abused children. A conceptual framework outlined the theoretical underpinnings of this study which focused on the core theoretical concepts of Gestalt therapy theory and the field of child sexual abuse with particular focus on the impact that the child’s trauma has on the mother. Semi–structured interviews were conducted with a sample of five mothers in order to gain rich data from their phenomenological experience. These interviews were transcribed into text and analysed. Several themes and categories emerged and were explored with the use of a literature control. These themes included the mother’s phenomenological experience of the sequence of disclosure, their awareness of the impact of their child’s sexual abuse on their holistic sense of self, their intra and interpersonal contact making styles, their need to facilitate a healthy sense of self and lastly their phenomenological knowledge gained through their field experience. The disclosure of their child’s sexual abuse signifies the start of the secondary trauma experienced by mothers, and the start of the cycle of a new experience that they struggle to bring to closure. This knowledge that their child has been sexually abused has an immediate negative impact on the mother’s field and their sense of self. Their process of healthy self–regulation is hindered due to the strong negative polarities in the self being formed and the self–blame that the mothers experience. This study therefore concluded and strongly recommended that mothers of sexually abused children receive support in the form of therapeutic intervention and education while their child receives therapy. / Thesis (M.A. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The aim of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the experiences and needs of mothers of sexually abused children. A conceptual framework outlined the theoretical underpinnings of this study which focused on the core theoretical concepts of Gestalt therapy theory and the field of child sexual abuse with particular focus on the impact that the child’s trauma has on the mother. Semi–structured interviews were conducted with a sample of five mothers in order to gain rich data from their phenomenological experience. These interviews were transcribed into text and analysed. Several themes and categories emerged and were explored with the use of a literature control. These themes included the mother’s phenomenological experience of the sequence of disclosure, their awareness of the impact of their child’s sexual abuse on their holistic sense of self, their intra and interpersonal contact making styles, their need to facilitate a healthy sense of self and lastly their phenomenological knowledge gained through their field experience. The disclosure of their child’s sexual abuse signifies the start of the secondary trauma experienced by mothers, and the start of the cycle of a new experience that they struggle to bring to closure. This knowledge that their child has been sexually abused has an immediate negative impact on the mother’s field and their sense of self. Their process of healthy self–regulation is hindered due to the strong negative polarities in the self being formed and the self–blame that the mothers experience. This study therefore concluded and strongly recommended that mothers of sexually abused children receive support in the form of therapeutic intervention and education while their child receives therapy. / Thesis (M.A. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.