Section 3
•Secondary traumatic stress (STS) derives from a person learning about the details of a traumatic event experienced by someone in their care, like a student.
•It is “the natural consequent behaviors and emotions resulting from knowing about a traumatizing event experienced by a significant other--the stress resulting from helping or wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person” (Figley, 1995, p.7).
•Unlike post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), STS is a secondary condition that results from a person learning about a traumatic event that has been experienced by an individual in their care. Historically,
•STS has been a topic of focus in research in the healthcare industry, but limited focus has been placed on this topic in the field of education.
•Essary et al. (2020) share that STS in educators typically manifests in the following ways: re-experiencing, avoidance, numbing, and hyperarousal.