2026 Fall Seminar Series Seminar: Joe Young University of Kentucky

The Hidden Costs of Security: Examining the Impacts of Exposure to Violent Material

Abstract: The United States has a counterterrorism workforce whose charge is to maintain the safety of the country. These professionals are exposed to violent and traumatic material ranging from violent images to first-hand accounts of abuse/trauma. What impacts do these materials have on the mental health of these workers? How does exposure to these materials influence their job performance? We build on previous literature and theory to generate some expectations about these impacts. We then utilize an original survey to establish both the degree of the problem and to suggest protective factors that mitigate the impacts of violent material.