Levels of Vicarious Trauma Among Guidance and Counselling Teachers in Secondary Schools in Muranga County, Kenya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t2556Abstract
Vicarious trauma, the emotional distress arising from sustained empathic engagement with traumatic experiences of others, poses significant challenges for Guidance and Counselling teachers who routinely support traumatized learners in secondary school settings. This study sought to determine the levels of vicarious trauma among Guidance and Counselling teachers in secondary schools in Murang'a County, Kenya. The study was grounded in the Constructivist Self-Development Theory, which explains how trauma work influences counselors' cognitive schemas and professional functioning. A descriptive correlational quantitative research design was employed, targeting all 282 eligible Guidance and Counselling teachers from public secondary schools across seven sub-counties in Murang'a County, with a census approach adopted to eliminate sampling error and ensure comprehensive coverage. The study achieved a response rate of 94.0%, yielding 265 participants. Data were collected using the Vicarious Trauma Scale (VTS), an eight-item standardized instrument with demonstrated internal consistency reliability of Cronbach's alpha of .891 in the Kenyan context, and analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS version 27. Findings revealed that 82.3% of participants experienced moderate to high levels of vicarious trauma, with 58.9% reporting moderate levels and 23.4% experiencing high levels. The most prevalent symptom manifestations included preoccupation with student cases (M = 4.51, SD = 1.63), heightened anxiety from trauma work (M = 4.35, SD = 1.71), and awareness of being affected by student traumatic stress (M = 4.28, SD = 1.74), with an overall mean VTS score of 4.06 (SD = 1.76). The study recommended the development of comprehensive trauma-informed training programs and mandatory supervision structures to strengthen Guidance and Counselling teachers' emotional well-being and professional effectiveness.
Keywords: Vicarious Trauma, Guidance and Counselling Teachers, Secondary Schools, Murang'a County, Kenya
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