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Anyone can be a victim of sexual violence, regardless of age, race, or gender. Likewise, assailants can be anyone: strangers, friends, or family members.
Crimes involving sexual violence often lead to long-term negative consequences for the victim. In addition to any physical injuries from the assault, victims often suffer from emotional and psychological trauma that sexual violence introduces into their lives.
The Vicarious Trauma Toolkit (VTT) was developed on the premise that exposure to the traumatic experiences of other people—known as vicarious trauma—is an inevitable occupational challenge for the fields of victim services, emergency medical services, fire services, law enforcement, and other allied professionals; however, organizations can mitigate the potentially negative effects of trauma exposure by becoming vicarious trauma-informed.
