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                            Library & Multimedia
 Stressors in Forensic Organizations: Risks and solutions
NCJ Number
              304556
Journal

*Forensic Science International: Synergy* Volume: Online Dated: December 2021
Author(s)
          Thomas Busey;
                        Laura Sudkamp;
                        Melissa K. Taylor;
                        Alice White
Date Published

December 2021
Annotation
              This article presents several models and case studies that can help inform the creation of positive laboratory policies.
Abstract
              Stressors of many types occur in forensic laboratories, with detrimental effects for individuals, laboratory systems, and casework outcomes. These stressors may be general, affecting the entire laboratory or all cases, or specific, affecting individual examiners or single cases. Stressors affecting individual examiners include: vicarious trauma associated with details of worked cases, nonstandard working hours, fatigue, the monotony of repetitious tasks, fear of errors, and severe backlogs. Policies and laboratory cultures can be put in place to minimize the effects of stressors; however, current forensic organizational responses to these stressors may vary from punitive to collaborative approaches. A system of discipline-wide centralized error reporting, similar to systems used to reduce fatal mistakes in medicine and aviation, could have the potential to identify areas of concern within forensic science practices. (Publisher Abstract)
      
  
          Additional Details
Grant Number(s)
        2016-MU-BX-K110


  
  
        
  Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Research (Applied/Empirical)


  
  
        
  Award
        Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) FY17
    
  
  
Date Published: December 1, 2021
    
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