Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Tracy Marsh

Abstract

AbstractThe exposure to work-related trauma and the relationship to gender, age, years of service, and education level and their impact on the development of vicarious traumatization (VT) on metropolitan law enforcement officers has been underexamined. This quantitative correlational study aimed to examine whether the mediating variable resilience, along with the independent variables gender, age, years of service, and level of education, impacted the dependent variable VT. The constructivist self-development theory and the resilience theory were used as the framework for the study. The professional quality of life scale was used to measure the independent variables and VT. The resilience scale was used to measure resilience. Survey data were collected from a random sample of 240 law enforcement officers in the state of Ohio. Multiple linear regression analyses and analysis of variance were conducted to analyze the data. Findings showed that gender, years of service, age, and level of education did not predict VT. Findings also indicated resilience did not mediate the strength of the relationship between gender, years of service, age, level of education, and VT. Findings indicated with every one-unit increase in resilience, VT scores decreased by 0.13 units. Findings may lead to positive social change through better prepared, better educated, and better-equipped officers, thereby reducing the negativity associated with the interactions between law enforcement officers and communities.

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