Holding Both: Witness Aid Workers' Experiences Supporting Intimate Partner Violence Survivors in District Attorney Offices
type: CreativeWork
description: Social workers and advocates practice in district attorney (DA) offices as witness or victim aid workers providing intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors counseling, advocacy, resources and information as they enter the criminal legal system (CLS). Their experiences, in particular how stress and vicarious trauma (VT) manifested for them in this unique setting within the criminal legal system, had not yet been examined. This phenomenological study sought to better understand (1) how social workers and advocates in a prosecutor’s office experience practice with intimate partner violence survivors, (2) their experiences of stress, secondary traumatic stress, vicarious trauma, and supports, and (3) the impact of structural racism on witness aid social workers and advocates. Data were collected through in-depth, in-person interviews with 22 social workers and advocates currently and previously employed in two metropolitan area district attorney offices. Utilizing the constructivist self-development perspective, the study found workers experienced physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms commonly associated with vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress (STS). Their worldview shifted, especially about safety and intimacy. They were bearing witness to the narratives of survivors of violence feeling both stressed and rewarded. The organizational setting of the DA office brought frustrations, such as dealing with the challenging criminal legal system, and rewards, such as teamwork with prosecutors. Witnessing institutional racism profoundly affected all workers across racial identities. Racial microaggressions deeply affected workers of color creating additional stressors on the job. In spite of the stressful aspects, workers were passionate and loved their jobs, expertly holding both stressors and rewards. Peer support and supervision were most important for workers. This study offers several implications for practice. Support for social workers in this lega…
abstract: Social workers and advocates practice in district attorney (DA) offices as witness or victim aid workers providing intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors counseling, advocacy, resources and information as they enter the criminal legal system (CLS). Their experiences, in particular how stress and vicarious trauma (VT) manifested for them in this unique setting within the criminal legal system, had not yet been examined. This phenomenological study sought to better understand (1) how social workers and advocates in a prosecutor’s office experience practice with intimate partner violence survivors, (2) their experiences of stress, secondary traumatic stress, vicarious trauma, and supports, and (3) the impact of structural racism on witness aid social workers and advocates. Data were collected through in-depth, in-person interviews with 22 social workers and advocates currently and previously employed in two metropolitan area district attorney offices. Utilizing the constructivist self-development perspective, the study found workers experienced physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms commonly associated with vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress (STS). Their worldview shifted, especially about safety and intimacy. They were bearing witness to the narratives of survivors of violence feeling both stressed and rewarded. The organizational setting of the DA office brought frustrations, such as dealing with the challenging criminal legal system, and rewards, such as teamwork with prosecutors. Witnessing institutional racism profoundly affected all workers across racial identities. Racial microaggressions deeply affected workers of color creating additional stressors on the job. In spite of the stressful aspects, workers were passionate and loved their jobs, expertly holding both stressors and rewards. Peer support and supervision were most important for workers. This study offers several implications for practice. Support for social workers in this lega…
author: Williams, Ovita
keywords: Criminal Law, Law and Race, Social Work, Forensic Social Work, Criminal Justice, Racism, Worker Stress, Vicarious Trauma, Bearing Witness
date published: 2020-06-01T07:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:00:26Z
provider: City University of New York - Graduate Center
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York