Parole Officers’ Experiences of the Symptoms of Secondary Trauma in the Supervision of Sex Offenders

Parole Officers’ Experiences of the Symptoms of Secondary Trauma in the Supervision of Sex Offenders

Published: | Author: Margaret Severson, Carrie Pettus-Davis

The work of parole officers who supervise sex offenders rarely comes to the public’s attention unless something goes wrong. Research suggests that those providing postrelease supervision of convicted sex offenders likely experience trauma as a result of their work and that little support is available to respond to their emotional needs. This manuscript explores parole officers’ and parole officer supervisors’ experiences of the symptoms of secondary trauma, defined as the emotional and cognitive experiences of hearing stories that recount one or more traumatic events.

Category: Reentry, Sex Offenders, Trauma, Probation and Parole