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Abstract
The present study assessed the current psychological situation of agents of the Judicial Police of the Guardia Civil investigating crimes related to child sexual exploitation (CSE), in order to update a psychological assistance plan. For this purpose, trying to replicate a recent North American study (Seigfried-Spellar, 2017), an online questionnaire was developed with 4 standardized tests on psychological well-being, job satisfaction, coping mechanisms, and post-traumatic stress. The questionnaire was administered to 139 agents, divided into three groups according to the frequency of working against CSE (always work with CSE, do it occasionally, and have never worked with CSE). The data were analyzed by performing mean comparisons and calculating a multinomial logistic regression model with the variables of interest. Contrary to expectations, it turned out that agents who always work against CSE did not present greater psychological distress or post-traumatic stress than those who did not, also partly contradicting the results of the North American study. These results are discussed in light of the limitations encountered, and suggestions for improvement for future studies are formulated.
References
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