The Cost of Bearing Witness to the Environmental Crisis: Vicarious Traumatization and Dealing with Secondary Traumatic Stress among Environmental Researchers

Abstract

Researchers working on environmental issues are often unprepared to deal with the traumatic potential of their studies. They often face traumatic encounters in their first-hand experiences in fieldwork, for example, by finding animals killed by poachers or seeing the disastrous effects of climate change. However, environmental researchers also suffer from forms of secondary trauma or vicarious trauma related to environmental problems when they become affected by hearing or reading about the suffering of others. Unfortunately, however, very little support structures exist for students and researchers who experience secondary trauma. This article discusses the phenomenon of secondary trauma among researchers and students of environmental science. Through an analysis of existing empirical studies, the article highlights that there are clear signs of traumatic symptoms among environmental researchers. The most common reactions include psychic numbing, compassion fatigue, and burnouts. The article also makes suggestions for recognizing vulnerabilities, and for enhancing resilience through self-care. Since traumatic exposure by environmental researchers has not been systematically studied or discussed in detail in the existing literature, this article makes a significant contribution to the field showcasing ideas for further research, including possible empirical studies on the ways in which trauma and secondary trauma feature among environmental researchers.