Content Moderator Mental Health, Secondary Trauma, and Well-being: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Content moderators (CMs) analyze and remove offensive or harmful user generated content that has been uploaded to the internet. Jobs which involve exposure to other people's suffering are associated with raised rates of secondary traumatic stress and mental health problems. However, research establishing psychological baseline symptoms in CMs is lacking. This study used an online survey to explore rates of psychological distress, secondary trauma, and well-being in a sample of CMs. Regression analysis explored how various features of the work affected mental health. There was a dose-response effect between frequency of exposure to distressing content and psychological distress and secondary trauma, but not well-being. The results suggested supportive colleagues and feedback about the importance of their role ameliorated this relationship. Implications for CM working conditions are discussed.

Frontline Response: Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Stalking Behaviours.

COVID-19 pandemic lockdown changed the way in which we engage with others and our ability to enjoy free movement away from the confinement of our own homes. Whilst this dramatic change affected everyone, it constituted something much more threatening for victims of stalking, repeatedly targeted by those with an obsessive and fixated behaviour. Whilst we know more about the impact of lockdown stalking behaviour, very little is known about how the police and frontline workers are responding to this challenge. This research aims to increase an understanding of stalking in this context. Firstly, it presents a quantitative examination of recorded data on stalking offences provided by all 43 police forces across England and Wales. In addition, it explores the experiences of those working on the frontline who respond to reports of stalking made by victims. A total of 15 in-depth interviews were conducted with twelve police officers from three forces in England, as well as three advocates of victims from two national stalking services. Analyses show that stalking behaviour has increased and evolved to use accessible channels alongside the COVID restrictions. In conclusion, considerable pressure has been placed on frontline workers to adapt and respond not only to increased incidents but also the changes in the nature of stalking behaviour.