The Cost of Caring: Navigating Secondary Trauma, Ethics, and Self-Care in Research and Teaching

Researching and teaching subjects marked by extreme human suffering—such as forced migration, genocide, human rights violations, systemic bias, and abuse—demands immense emotional and intellectual labor. This presentation examines how prolonged exposure to historical and contemporary trauma affects scholars in the archive and the classroom. Join us to explore the ethical dimensions of trauma work, recognize the signs of secondary traumatic stress, and learn practical strategies to cultivate personal well-being alongside academic rigor.