Video playback, affective witnessing, and the mobility of trauma: Video evidence of violent crime in the criminal justice system

Date

2023-05

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Elsevier

Abstract

In today's technologically mediated society, video is increasingly relied upon as an objective and reliable source of evidence in the investigation and prosecution of violent crimes. The now pervasive presence of violent video in the criminal justice system, however, presents new challenges for understanding repeated work-related exposure to and witnessing of potentially traumatic material and its impacts. Thus, this project seeks to qualitatively examine the relational affective processes that occur among criminal justice professionals when violent crimes are captured on video. We present four key categories organized around the circumstances of exposure and its impacts: 1) playback in the investigative and pre-trial process; 2) sharing videos among colleagues; 3) playing videos for victims, witnesses, and families and; 4) transmission in the broader public. Findings suggest this work involves deeply embodied processes where video evidence of violent crime enables a virtual presence at scenes and an emotional proximity to events through new forms of witnessing. These affective experiences are one relational dynamic that keeps witnessing active, thus expanding the mobility of trauma, its reach and potential impacts.

Description

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Elsevier.

Keywords

traumatic exposure, video evidence of violent crime, criminal justice professionals, affective witnessing, mobility of trauma, embodied traumas

Citation

Birze, A.; Regehr, C.; & Regehr, K. (2023). Video playback, affective witnessing, and the mobility of trauma: Video evidence of violent crime in the criminal justice system. Emotion Space and Society, 47. DOI: 10.1016/j.emospa.2023.100950 

DOI

10.1016/j.emospa.2023.100950

ISSN

1755-4586

Creative Commons

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

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