Unintended Trauma from Defending Children

Nationwide, many of the children in juvenile and child abuse and neglect proceedings are victims of violence, crime, abuse, neglect, or emotional trauma. In fact, the majority of youth involved within the criminal legal system have been exposed to trauma at some point before their 18th birthday. But the trauma these children have experienced does not stay contained by their case or in the courtroom. It rubs off on defense counsel with public defenders and criminal litigation counsel at greater risk of secondary trauma symptoms. Secondary or vicarious trauma is not something a bubble bath or good night’s sleep can fix. It can affect work performance, client relationships, personal relationships, and bleed into substance addiction and workaholism. This presentation will explore vicarious trauma (the secondary trauma we pick up by witnessing trauma in others), what trauma is, how it is not defined by one diagnosis, and what effects it can have on those bearing witness to trauma through direct representation. 

Presented by Stephanne Thornton, MDiv, MSW, LICSW, MAC, CCTP, CSOTP