Researchers uncover four compounding stressors faced by law enforcement during SUID investigations in the U.S.
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Law enforcement officials responding to sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) cases face a uniquely distressing set of challenges that can have lasting emotional consequences, according to a new study from Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon, and RTI International, an independent scientific research institute.
The study is the first to examine the lived experiences of law enforcement officers involved in SUID investigations. Through in-depth interviews with 26 officers in the Pacific Northwest, researchers identified four interrelated stressors that compound during these cases: limited experience because of the rarity of SUIDs, the emotional weight of infant victims, ambiguous scene findings that create role conflict and intense emotions that challenge professional detachment…