Abstract
Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force investigators are routinely exposed to severe child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and extreme digital cruelty, placing them at heightened risk for vicarious traumatization. While the psychological toll on officer well-being is increasingly recognized, less is known about how trauma-induced distress impacts operational decision-making during active investigations. This study tested a comprehensive structural equation model (SEM) examining the direct and indirect pathways linking vicarious trauma (VT) to investigative decision-making biases (specifically confirmation bias and premature case closure) through the mediating mechanisms of emotional exhaustion and cognitive fatigue. Data were collected from a nationwide sample of sworn law enforcement investigators (N = 312) active within ICAC task forces. Standardized psychometric instruments and randomized vignette-based investigative scenarios were utilized to assess psychological constructs and decision-making behavior. The structural model demonstrated exceptional fit to the data (χ²/df = 1.79, CFI = 0.965, TLI = 0.958, RMSEA = 0.044, SRMR = 0.039). Results revealed that vicarious trauma significantly and directly predicted investigative bias (β = 0.28, p < .001). Furthermore, mediation analyses confirmed significant indirect pathways through emotional exhaustion (β = 0.19, p < .01) and cognitive fatigue (β = 0.15, p < .01), accounting for 46% of the variance in decision-making bias. These findings demonstrate that psychological trauma directly degrades investigative objectivity by impairing cognitive control systems. Institutional recommendations for routine psychological surveillance, mandatory rotation schedules, and targeted cognitive bias training within specialized forensic units are discussed.
