ABSTRACT
When the core business of an organisation is known to exert high psychological and emotional demand on its employees, the ability of staff to respond adaptively to that demand becomes central to effective performance. Work in forensic settings is recognised as a prime example of such business, and can be usefully defined as a ‘critical occupation’. Paton and Violanti (1996) coined this term to describe roles where there is a high risk of exposure to traumatic events or material that may, under certain circumstances, exert critical impact on the psychological well-being of those undertaking them. It was also worded to encapsulate the critical role that workers play in protecting their communities; very fitting to forensic professions that have public safety at their heart.
