These guidelines outline recommendations for the prevention of, and response to, vicarious trauma in researchers working in the field of sexual and intimate partner violence but can also
be of use and relevance to those researching other sensitive topics including other forms of
gender based violence. The Guidelines serve several important functions.
They:
• Provide a framework for understanding vicarious trauma among researchers of sexual and
intimate partner violence.
• Assist and encourage organisations in developing guidelines for, and committing resources
to prevent and respond to vicarious trauma.
• Highlight the importance of addressing vicarious trauma as an ethical and institutional
imperative for teams working in the field.
• Provide ethics review boards with guidance needed to ensure that research proposals
address the issue of vicarious trauma throughout the research process. (from the introduction). These guidelines have been developed by the Sexual Violence Research Initiative based in Pretoria, South Africa. Record #4733