Abstract: Submission #23

Abstract The primary focus of this study is secondary traumatic stress (STS) among forensic social workers, who are exposed indirectly to distressing narratives from sexually abused children. Unlike general social workers, they face the dual challenge of serving as both expert witnesses and therapists. The research aims to explore the impact of internal and external risk factors on STS experiences in forensic social workers, a topic that has received limited attention in international and South African studies. An all-inclusive willing participation sampling method was used, focussing on all qualified Forensic Social Workers who graduated from a South African university between 2006 and 2019. The study utilized a quantitative cross-sectional descriptive design, employing Google Forms distributed via email to collect data. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics version 28.0. The findings indicate that internal factors, such as race and relationship status, and external factors, including clinical supervision, social support, and exposure to traumatic criminal events, had varying effects on STS symptoms.