“That Could Have Been Me!”: The Importance of Assessing for Vicarious Racial Trauma in BIPOC Youth

Abstract

The concept of vicarious trauma has evolved over time. The term vicarious trauma originally referred to the trauma that therapists experienced during the course of their work with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.1 Later, vicarious trauma was recognized among other helping professionals, such as first responders, emergency room staff/nurses, and law enforcement. In the current DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria for PTSD, one kind of exposure (Criterion A4) is “experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic event(s) (eg, first responders collecting human remains; police officers repeatedly exposed to details of child abuse),”2 However, it is noted that “Criterion A4 does not apply to exposure through electronic media, television, movies, or pictures unless this exposure is work-related.” Outside of work-related exposure, Criterion A3 describes trauma that can occur through indirect exposure but limits it to events that occurred to a close family member or close friend.