Bearing witness to witnesses: developing the vicarious trauma reflexive sequence (VTRS) for emotionally demanding fieldwork

What is it about?

This article looks at what happens when researchers listen to difficult, emotional stories during interviews, especially stories about war, violence, and trauma. In this case, the author interviewed two British military veterans who had given evidence at a war crimes tribunal. Although the researcher wasn't present during the events being described, hearing about them had a deep emotional effect. The article explores how that emotional impact can build up over time and effect the researchers’ thoughts, feelings, and even physical well-being. It introduces a six-step model called the Vicarious Trauma Reflexive Sequence (VTRS), which shows how emotional strain begins, how it disrupts daily life, and how it can be eventually processed and managed. The paper argues that we don't talk enough about the emotional risk researchers face when dealing with distressing material. Often, they are expected to stay neutral or detached, but this can hide the personal cost of doing such work. The paper suggest that organisations like universities, need to do more to prepare and support researchers who work in emotionally challenging areas. Overall, the paper offers a new way of thinking about researcher well-being. It shows that emotional reactions aren't just side effects, they can be important sources of insight, and they deserve care and attention in how we train, supervised, and support people doing sensitive research.

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