Gender Differences and Secondary Traumatization in Helping Professions

This paper explores the phenomenon of secondary traumatization among professionals in helping professions, with a particular focus on gender roles as a factor shaping stress responses. Secondary traumatization, defined as emotional and psychological exhaustion caused by working with trauma-affected clients, can significantly impact the well-being of service providers. The aim of the research is to examine differences in responses to secondary traumatization between men and women, viewed in the context of gender roles. The methodology involves a descriptive-empirical approach and the use of standardized instruments to measure secondary traumatization. The results indicate that women show more symptoms of secondary traumatization compared to men, particularly in the areas of anxiety and dissociation, which can be partly attributed to socially conditioned gender roles and expectations