The Empathy Tightrope: Balancing Trauma-Informed Responses and Prosecutor Resilience

The prosecution of human trafficking requires prosecutors who are highly skilled, have a deep understanding of complex dynamics, and are dedicated to working with victims and survivors who have undergone severe trauma. Prosecutors handling sex and labor trafficking cases are faced with high volumes of complex evidence that is often graphic, violent, or disturbing in nature. Trauma-informed approaches require prosecutors to lead with empathy, while being watchful that secondary trauma does not negatively impact job performance and personal well-being.

This presentation addresses wellness as a critical aspect of any response to human trafficking, with a specific focus on prosecutors who lead trauma-informed responses to sex and labor trafficking cases. The presenter provides strategies to identify early signs of burnout and secondary trauma and facilitates interactive discussions around healthy coping mechanisms and proactive stress management. Such skills are crucial not only for personal well-being, but also for sustaining prosecutors’ ability to seek justice for trafficking victims and hold offenders accountable.

By the end of the presentation, participants will be better able to:

• Proactively address secondary-trauma to ensure effective responses to victims of human trafficking
• Lead trauma-informed approaches to investigating and prosecuting sex and labor trafficking
• Collaborate to prioritize wellness and minimize burnout amongst multi-disciplinary partners

This presentation was produced by AEquitas under Grant No. 15POVC-21-GK-03263-HT, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.