A Study On Compassion Fatigue Among Professionals Working with Child Sexual Abuse Survivors in Mainland China

Abstract

Compassion fatigue is an outcome showing a series of popular negative symptoms with an engagement of empathy among caregiving professionals. To fill the gap of related study among professionals working with child sexual abuse survivors in China, the qualitative research method was performed through nine in-depth interviews with four social workers, three psychological counselors, one lawyer, and one prosecutor. The four main results are: professionals are facing challenging working environments; professionals have intense psychological distress; professionals are not aware of their mental status; professionals are not engaged in self-care. In further discussions, the reasons for and implications of the results are explored. First, professionals are at risks of compassion fatigue. Second, cultural and social ideologies affect professionals work in helping child sexual abuse survivors; such barriers can generate compassion fatigue. Third, the language used for (child) sexual abuse impacts social ideology towards sexual abuse and sexual abuse victims. Fourth, undeveloped legislation cannot provide solid backup for professionals’ work. Fifth, there is an absence of cooperation between the public security organs and intervention service providers. In conclusion, people must be alert to compassion fatigue among professionals working with child sexual abuse survivors. The society also needs to sweep potential barriers of professionals’ work from the cultural and social ideologies. Moreover, legislation should refine to build school protection system and boys sexual abuse protection.