| This study explored the coping skills of a small sample of well-functioning child protection investigation workers. In-depth interviews of child protection investigation workers who were identified as well-functioning by their supervisors were conducted in order to understand their coping skills and how they stayed when so many others exposed to the same trauma left. Findings indicate that support networks were key to these workers' ability to cope. Most of the fourteen workers had spouses, extended family members or friends who did the same work or were in a related human service field; these individuals were the primary sources of support for these workers with whom they processed certain work issues. The second most utilized source of support was co-workers. Co-worker support was characterized by venting and humor. Also utilized as a source of support were supervisors. Critical for five of the fourteen workers' ability to do investigation work was self-initiated job rotation to replenish them and allow them to return to investigation work.; Despite these sources of support, findings indicated that a few workers appeared to be in the throes of secondary trauma. Paradoxically, few workers were open to seeking professional counseling should they become emotionally overwhelmed as a result of work issues, and departure from the agencies seemed imminent for two workers. Despite these workers seeking other employment, with job tenure ranging from 4.75 years to 19.83 years, participating workers all managed to cope with child protection investigation work well beyond the two-year mark when most begin to burn out. More needs to be done to help child protection investigation workers, supervisors and managers at all levels to recognize the symptoms of secondary trauma so that it can be addressed. Knowledge obtained from this study would be of use to child protection administrators seeking ways to better retain child protection investigation workers. |
