Abstract
Statement of Problem: This study examined the relationship between ACEs and self-identified levels of compassion fatigue, in a sample of adults in the Human Services field. The ACEs score was used to determine trauma in youth, for the purpose of showing a scale of risk for over empathizing with trauma victims. Human Service workers spend a lot of time providing direct services to trauma victims and, therefore, are at a greater risk for compassion fatigue by the very nature of their work (Hopwood et el. 2017). Sources of Data:This researcher performed a quantitative data analysis using a survey for data collection. This survey incorporated a modified Wave 2 ACEs questionnaire, the “Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale” (STSS), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and demographic information questions, including, but not limited to, the type of job/service/volunteer work that the individual does in the Human Services field. Surveys were administered to a random sample of individuals who attended meetings and/or trainings provided to Human Service workers.Conclusions Reached:This research showed on average, Human Services workers reported a higher number of ACEs than the general population average. There is a moderate correlation between ACEs and self-reported compassion fatigue, but it is not statistically significant. Lastly, there is a moderate negative correlation between resilience factors and compassion fatigue, but it is not statistically significant.