📄 Abstract
Criminology instructors are routinely exposed to crime-related, violent, and traumatic content, placing them at risk for emotional and psychological strain. This study examined the levels of emotional desensitization and secondary trauma among criminology instructors and determined whether emotional desensitization predicts secondary trauma. Using a quantitative correlational design, data were collected from 40 criminology instructors in higher education institutions in Luzon, Philippines through an expert-validated questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and linear regression were employed for analysis. Results indicated a moderate level of emotional desensitization and secondary trauma among respondents. Emotional desensitization was found to be a significant predictor of secondary trauma (β = .56, p = .001), explaining 31% of the variance in secondary trauma scores (R² = .31). The findings suggest that emotional desensitization functions as an adaptive coping strategy but does not protect instructors from cumulative psychological burden. Institutional interventions grounded in trauma-informed practices and resilience-building are recommended to safeguard instructor well-being and sustain ethical, compassionate teaching.
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📚 How to Cite:
Maristel M. Dela Cruz , Ranulfo Bayag-o , Shirley P. Ayeo-eo , EMOTIONAL DESENSITIZATION AND SECONDARY TRAUMA AMONG CRIMINOLOGY INSTRUCTORS: A PREDICATIVE MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT , Volume 12 , Issue 6, June 2026, EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) , Pages: 917 - 922 ,