Exploring individual factors contributing to trauma-informed attitudes in law enforcement

Rabb, Kayla

Item

Exploring individual factors contributing to trauma-informed attitudes in law enforcement

Rabb, Kayla

Date

2025-05-06

Abstract

Across the nation, law enforcement has begun to look toward trauma-informed care (TIC) to rebuild and restore trust in response to increasing distrust. A key component of TIC implementation is identifying persons fit to serve as “champions for change” - those equipped to lead and mentor others in their organization. Given the nature of these “champions” it’s plausible that certain characteristics promote trauma-informed attitudes (TIAs). A sample of 127 officers were surveyed to examine how the characteristics of personality, intellectual humility (IH), and emotional intelligence (EI) contribute to TIAs. Results revealed only EI and IH to be significant predictors of TIAs, suggesting the constructs have the largest impact on officers’ capacity for TIAs. Moreover, higher EI and IH scores mediated the relationship between the Agreeableness trait and TIAs. Implications of the findings are discussed with regard to recruitment and training.