Examining the association of childhood trauma with secondary traumatic stress for employees working in penal institutions

Background: Recent studies and approaches establish an association between childhood traumas and secondary traumatic stress. Individuals with childhood traumas are more vulnerable to occasions causing secondary traumatic stress, which is aimed to be elaborated in this study. Objective: The association of childhood traumas with secondary traumatic stress is examined in this study with individuals working in penal institutions as subjects of secondary traumatic stress. Methods: Participants consisted of 344 correctional officers, police officers, soldiers, and other employees in penal institutions (67.7% female, 32.3% male). Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale results were compared to the findings gathered from the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Results: The results indicated that the employees of penal institutions regard themselves as negatively affected by their working environments, the scores collected in secondary traumatic stress increases as the time spent at work, age, and educational status increases, and that the employees of the penal institutions working as correctional officers are more victims of secondary traumatic stress than other groups. The findings also revealed that secondary traumatic stress is correlated with childhood traumas (r = 0.25, p < .01). Conclusion: Childhood traumas and secondary traumatic stress appear to be relevant. The gender, age, educational status, and the time spent at work are also closely related with secondary traumatic stress which is advised to be researched further with employees of penal institutions.