Apr 7, 2024 By Jon Andreassi 5 min read

When readers see a story about a person who has been charged with sexual abuse of a child, they are often reading a heavily truncated, sanitized account of events.

The primary concern is limiting information that could potentially reveal the identity of a victim, but many details are simply too graphic and unsettling to make it to print.

In the affidavits accompanying criminal complaints, police are much more specific about allegations leveled against a defendant. Behind those affidavits are long periods of investigation by social workers and law enforcement. Through that process, investigators can develop what is known as vicarious or secondary trauma.

“Every day our team of case workers are exposed to extreme, traumatic events that cause them to have secondary traumatic stress or emotional distress,” said Anne Schlegel, director of Washington County Children and Youth Services.

Gina D’Auria, administrator of Fayette County CYS, put it simply: “Child welfare is not for the weak of heart.”

“We see horrific things, and no matter what we face with the kids, we have to continue to work with those parents and try to make these situations better for the kids,” D’Auria said.

A major part of the job is interviewing child victims of sexual abuse. Caseworkers have to walk a delicate line of stoicism and empathy while the child shares details of their abuse.

“You cannot show any emotion when a child is disclosing to you,” D’Auria said. “That child will read your face, read your emotions and won’t talk again. You have to be kind of poker faced, while still making that child feel safe.”

Schlegel notes that conducting the interviews is a skill, and that new case workers are paired with more seasoned employees.

Part of that training involves learning to leave emotion at the door.

“We’ve had caseworkers who break down crying with a child during the interview,” Schlegel said.

Washington County Commissioner Larry Maggi was a state trooper for 25 years until he retired in 1998. For about five of those years, he worked mainly on cases of child abuse.

Maggi knew his presence might make victims uncomfortable, and learned it was best to let the caseworker handle the initial interview without a police officer in the room.

“I realized I was male. I was 6 feet 1 with a rough exterior talking to these 3-, 4-, 5-year- old victims,” Maggi said.

One case in particular has stuck with Maggi. He recalls meeting a young girl at the emergency room. She had been sexually assaulted by her grandfather.

Despite only being able to describe what she went through in the language of a child, it was apparent she had suffered at the hands of a trusted family member.

“The details, and what this child was able to relay to us in a child’s terms … I can still see that young girl to this day,” Maggi said. “What was sad, she did not know what she was saying. She did not know the impact. She did not use graphic terms. I’ve investigated hundreds of cases, and I often wonder what happened to her.”

When it comes to the aftermath of such investigations, both Schlegel and D’Auria say their offices encourage caseworkers to practice self-care and tend to their mental well-being.

Washington CYS has a contract with a counseling provider to provide “debriefing sessions” for those coming off of a case.

“When a traumatic event happens, they have an opportunity to debrief with a therapist. They continue to receive that debriefing as long as needed,” Schlegel said, adding that certain, more extreme cases require mandatory debriefing.

Caseworkers and law enforcement also have access to the State Employee Assistance Program (SEAP), which helps refer employees to services to help with personal problems such as mental health issues and substance abuse.

Maggi said SEAP started during his tenure as a state trooper, but that its scope was much more limited.

“It was more for a shooting incident. Investigating children’s crimes at that time didn’t fall under that category,” Maggi said.

Maggi said when he was in law enforcement it could have been harmful to your reputation to express a need for mental health services.

“We found later there is nothing wrong with needing to talk about it. That does not hurt your image. That was the culture at the time,” Maggi said.

Maggi has not personally sought counseling since retiring from Pennsylvania State Police.

“My wife tells me I probably should. I talk to her a lot about it,” Maggi said.

He added he has seen many positive developments in terms of how law enforcement agencies address these issues.

“When you’re dealing with a child victim, that touches you. That touches your inner soul. You do need to be debriefed, or talk it out with people,” Maggi said. “I’m glad these organizations realize that, and the stigma is not there like it used to be when you do seek some help to talk about it.”

For D’Auria, the stress of the job has taken its toll in the three decades she has worked at Fayette CYS, but she remains committed to the agency’s mission.

“Every time I think I’ve had enough and am ready to quit, something good happens with one of my families,” D’Auria said. “I think we need to see the positive. There are a lot of good stories, and there are success stories.”