Emotional Labor, Systemic Barriers, and Coping Strategies: A Qualitative Study of Victim Advocates in Florida

Victim advocates play a critical role in supporting victims throughout the criminal justice process and their work is often shaped by significant emotional, organizational, and systemic challenges. This qualitative study inductively examines how victim advocates describe and interpret the challenges and barriers they encounter in their work, as well as the strategies they use to cope with or navigate these circumstances. Guided by the research questions: How do victim advocates describe and interpret the challenges and barriers they face in their work?, and How do they understand the strategies used to cope with or navigate these challenges?, this study draws on 24 semi‑structured interviews with victim advocates working in Florida collected using snowball sampling. Findings highlight how exposure to trauma, managing victims’ expectations, and serving as a primary point of contact within the criminal justice system can contribute to emotional labor, stress, and burnout. Advocates also described organizational pressures such as high caseloads, limited time, and lengthy case processing times, alongside systemic constraints including rigid legal procedures and resource shortages. Future research should explore agency‑specific contexts of challenges victim advocates face and include gender, racial, and institutionally diverse samples to provide a broader range of perspectives.