retail environment
Trauma-Informed Versus Trauma Impacted
We live in a world of constant media noise with 24-hour, non-stop headlines and story cycles often viewed through the prism of tiny smartphone screens. So, occasionally, it’s a pleasant release to sit back and listen to the dulcet tones of a BBC Radio 4 presenter for half-an-hour of quiet reflection and a contemplative rendering of the relentless news agenda.
Except, even here—even through the audio medium—there is no respite or switch-off button, particularly when it comes to tuning in to the trauma and ugliness of life on the UK’s high street as viewed through the lens of a body-worn camera, those tiny front-facing devices that have become ubiquitous on the uniforms of frontline retail, hospitality, and security personnel in the last few years.
Radio 4’s Britain by Bodycam was by contrast a wake-up call to the dangers of our over-exposure to body-worn camera images of modern Britian’s high stakes high streets—even when witnessed from the safety of a bomb-proof and impregnable security operations centre (SOC) or alarm receiving centre (ARC) hundreds of miles away.
The images have the power of long-distance travel that can penetrate steel doors and airlocks and pierce the corneas and minds of some of the most seasoned security operatives whose job it is to monitor the high street as early warning systems of the increasing burden of violent and aggressive customers. These images have the ability to never be unseen.
What Are They Seeing?
Like frontline retail staff, the SOC operatives are digesting the visceral reality of violence, aggression, and anti-social behaviour meted out with seeming impunity.
The British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) Crime Report 2026, published in February highlights the fact that incidents are down by one-fifth on last year and trumpets the heavy investment retailers have put into technology such as body-worn cameras which significantly contributed to the drop from two thousand incidents of violence and aggression against store staff to in 2023/4 to 1,600 over the last twelve months.
However, conversely, according to figures published in April by crime intelligence platform Auror, frontline retail workers faced a 12 per cent increase in violent behaviour last year. These new statistics show the top 10 per cent of retail crime offenders were responsible for 68 per cent of total crime in stores, and those repeat offenders were 3.6 times more likely to use a weapon, and 3.1 times more likely to be violent.
Auror VP trust & safety Nick McDonnell said while these figures are confronting, it’s important that retailer’s “surface” these kinds of trends to then address the problem of prolific and organised retail crime, together.
“We’re seeing unacceptable levels of violence in retail—one in every 10 retail crime event involves a frontline colleague being punched, kicked, spat at, threatened with knives,” he said.
“These increases are on top of what is already an extraordinarily high level of serious crime in retail settings.”
Benefits of Body-Worn Cameras (BWC)
There is a large body of research proving that BWCs have had a positive impact in de-escalation of violent crime.
The College of Policing reported that, “Body-worn cameras generally show a positive impact by improving evidence collection, enhancing accountability, and reducing incidents of use-of-force. Evidence indicates they deter aggressive behaviour from both police and citizens, often leading to fewer complaints and faster resolution of cases, particularly in domestic violence and retail situations”.
User research from one of the leading providers of body-worn cameras to the UK high street highlighted that BWCs demonstrate significant positive impacts across sectors by reducing aggressive incidents by up to 67 per cent, boosting staff safety confidence to 100 per cent, and offering unique, front-facing screens that de-escalate conflict. They improve security for lone workers, accelerate evidence gathering, and improve staff mental well-being.
This de-escalation is because the front-facing camera gives cause for pause to would-be aggressors as they often see their own anger, actions, and potential harm as the consequence play out before their eyes. This is also having a positive impact on retail colleague’s mental health.
In healthcare, 100 per cent of NHS trust participants in one study agreed that frontline staff well-being improved, with 75 per cent noting higher morale as a result of BWC deployment.
Furthermore, the front-facing screens on cameras serve as a deterrent, reducing the frequency of physical and verbal abuse, which contributes to reducing PTSD and anxiety among workers, the research found.
COVID-19
Body-worn camera sales have sky-rocketed since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, a time when Britain was furloughed and frightened and, as a result, became less tolerant and understanding of each other as a collective form of national PTSD seemingly took hold.
During this time of social and economic lockdowns of all but essential retail such as supermarkets, shoppers fought back against the new normal and rules around face coverings, social distancing, and store occupancy levels. levels of intolerance grew and patience was in short supply.
Ironically, despite the pandemic, many staff felt safer during that time than they do now. This is not least due to the fact they were shielded by counter screens, sanitisers, and masks. Some businesses maintained some form of screens post pandemic as a means to counter sleight of hand scams and robberies.
Now we have the concept of “fortress stores”, with target-hardened locked doors and kiosks to protect product from industrial levels of brazen shelf sweeping, and colleagues are increasingly issued with small, hand-size body-worn cameras as the first and last line of defence with additional support from alarm receiving centres (ARCs) and security operation centres (SOCs).
Radio 4 Documentary
In Britain by Bodycam the listener was transported several miles away from these frontline retail scenarios to the bullet-and-bomb-proof bunkers that Britain’s retailers have invested billions of pounds in establishing in response to police under-investment in frontline officers.
These ARCs and SOCs are the real-time intermediaries and contacts between the retailer and law enforcement, making sure that police officers are responding to incidents and are equipped with ready-made video and audio evidence packages to support prosecutions.
These centres not only monitor the UK high street but also stores in Europe and beyond, with local law enforcement on speed dial for high-risk locations.
The narrator sets the scene of having to pass through secretive security protocols to gain access to the ARC in Yate, near Bristol with its blast-proof reinforced walls, airlock technology, and medical-grade filtration system.
He compares it to a submarine, an oil rig, and a bunker during the course of the programme—there are no windows, and operators work in semi-darkness monitoring banks of screens and silently witnessing what criminologist Professor Emmeline Taylor, a contributor to the programme, described as “a hotbed of all of society’s ills being played out before their eyes”.
They are looking at live feeds of activated body-worn cameras as part of their day-to-day job, with one operative describing the role like playing a giant computer game in a player versus player zone when the ARC or SOC has eyes on the target in a cat and mouse game while they wait for the police to arrive.
Professor Taylor said: “It’s hours of calm and mundane viewing interspersed with high levels of activity when a steaming gang is entering a store or someone has been stabbed while they are watching—these incidents stay with you, even though you may be 200 miles away”.
On the programme, operatives talked about what they had seen including stabbings, violent assaults, and even murders and suicides. The trained staff are advised to step away when they are able to take time away from the monitors.
Some staff admitted to having to take time away. Then there is the social media aspect of all of this with ARCs and SCO’s seeing daily scenes of people posting edited footage of incidents in stores—click bait entertainment which one operative said was like voyeurism that often presents a distorted picture of what has actually happened.
Moral Injury
Such exposure to violent and disturbing images can have long-term effects. René F. Najera, director of public health at The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, described this psychological phenomenon as a “moral injury”.
He said: “violent imagery from exposure to life on screen through social media, for example, impacts our mental and moral well-being in an era of non-stop news coverage”.
“The aftermath of violence often extends far beyond the initial act itself”, he said.
“When disturbing footage spreads across social media, it creates ripple effects that reach into our homes, workplaces, and hearts. The psychological harm from witnessing violence—even through a screen—has a name: moral injury”.
“Understanding this phenomenon helps us recognise when we or others might be struggling and what steps we can take towards healing”.
“You don’t even have to imagine this scenario, because it just happened. For example, a well-known political commentator is shot during a public event and within minutes graphic video footage spreads across social media platforms and millions of people watch the disturbing imagery. For many, especially those unaccustomed to such content, the impact goes deeper than simple discomfort”.
“Exposure to such images activates fear circuits in the brain, mimicking the response to first-hand trauma. These responses can lead to flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, and ongoing distress”, he added.
Re-Watching Footage
Part of a retail colleague or SOC operatives’ job is to review or rewatch footage as part of the evidence-gathering process.
Here research shows that while BWCs are effective in reducing, deterring, and documenting retail crime, they can create a complex, often contradictory, impact on staff trauma. While cameras increase feelings of safety and decrease the frequency of violent incidents, the constant exposure to high-level aggression—and the requirement to review it—can contribute to ongoing, vicarious, and enduring trauma, similar to experiences reported by law enforcement.
Indeed, BBC research shows that the rise in retail crime is causing long-lasting harm, including severe anxiety and PTSD among workers, including:
- Secondary and vicarious trauma from reviewing footage: the impact of video evidence is “enduring”, as workers often watch violent scenes over and over to report incidents, causing them to constantly take in other people’s trauma.
- The “robot” effect: some workers report that relying on cameras forces them to detach emotionally from the scene, causing them to “let go of [their] person” to continue their job, leading to emotional desensitisation.
- Increased anxiety of documentation: while the cameras offer protection, the knowledge that they are being watched by both customers and managers can create a new type of pressure and anxiety for staff.
- Lack of preparedness: staff can be “blindsided” by the intensity of the imagery they are forced to review later, particularly as the sheer volume of violent incidents in retail has skyrocketed.
And it’s not only staff working in retail who have experienced trauma as a result of over-exposure to BWC footage.
Researchers have reported increased levels of stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout among police staff tasked with reviewing intense or violent BWC footage.
While some studies suggest BWC footage helps officers recall details, the process of reviewing the Trauma
In the courts, the UK Crown Prosecution Service guidance notes that BWC footage can be highly distressing and must be handled sensitively to avoid re-traumatising victims of crime when they are asked to view it.
Also in mental health settings, a study by King’s College London found that while BWC footage can be used for safeguarding, the constant presence of cameras and the review of recorded incidents can contribute to a “culture of mistrust” and feelings of being “constantly watched” among patients, leading to anxiety and potential negative impacts on mental well-being.
Research into BWCs in mental health settings has highlighted concerns that the technology acts as a “panopticon”, causing patients to feel, and behave, as if they are always under surveillance, increasing psychological strain.
For body cameras to reduce trauma rather than introduce it, research highlights several necessities:
- Training and support: staff need to be equipped with interpersonal skills to defuse situations, rather than relying solely on the camera.
- Avoiding “back-firing”: there is a risk that turning on a camera can inflame an already tense situation.
- Comprehensive policies: retailers must have clear guidelines on how to manage, store, and view footage to avoid unnecessary exposure to traumatic content.
Trauma Action Group (TAG)
These guidelines and support must be more than just a poster on a retail canteen wall about seeking help or using a confidential helpline, according to the Trauma Action Group (TAG), an organisation specialising in the delivery of “trauma-informed” training across the UK, helping people recognise, understand, and respond to this psychological trauma through practical, evidence-informed approaches.
The organisation specialises in helping organisations prepare for and deal with the fall-out of both secondary and vicarious trauma.
As with examples of all the frontline workers discussed so far, secondary trauma is the indirect exposure to trauma through hearing, witnessing, or caring for victims of traumatic events. It causes symptoms similar to PTSD.
Vicarious trauma is a profound shift in an individual’s worldview, beliefs, and psychology resulting from empathetic engagement with trauma survivors or repeated exposure to traumatic stories and images. Often called “the cost of caring,” it acts as a cumulative, occupational risk for helpers, causing symptoms similar to direct PTSD, such as intrusive thoughts, emotional numbing, and fatigue.
TAG Director Tony France said: “People are realising that it is not just frontline retail staff experiencing trauma through the daily exposure to body worn camera footage.”
“All the focus is on the incident itself and not the impact.”
“Security operation centres often get forgotten when it comes to trauma because they are not on site and often miles away from where the incident happened. In reality, SOCs are the second frontline—they are in the trenches and it’s their job to look.”
He said there are three factors at play with trauma linked to BWC—it was unexpected, the observer was unprepared and, as a result, they were overwhelmed.
He said: “Some businesses offer counselling services or access to confidential hotlines, but this is something that is often rarely used. Trauma counsellors are only part of the solution. Such offerings do not understand the link between shame and trauma and how they go together.”
“The shame comes from the feeling that they are in a job where they should be able to cope, that whatever they witnessed didn’t happen to them, therefore they don’t have the right to feel as they do and feel they can’t talk to anyone.”
Instead, he said, organisations should be better “trauma-informed” and put the power to intervene immediately in the hands of trained team leaders.
“Not everyone will need to seek the help of a trauma specialist to prevent trauma escalating. For one thing there are not enough trauma specialists in the UK to go around everyone who could be affected. This is about ensuring managers and team leaders have the skills to support others on demanding days by way of trauma-informed de-briefing.”
He said, it could be as easy as taking a few minutes to talk about what just happened and keeping that conversational door open so that operatives know it’s fine to continue the conversation when they want to and, overall, it’s OK not to be OK.
“Being trauma-informed is a journey for many organisations. It provides part of a toolkit for managing stress and overall improves staff well-being through being able to talk openly about it.”
“It is not a tick box exercise or six sessions of trauma counselling. It’s a more systematic response to what has happened. It’s about asking people to do things differently and starting a conversation on trauma and how it can enter everyday language.”
From Awareness to Support
Becoming trauma-informed is also not an expensive classroom exercise. It starts with using high quality engaging e-learning packages that colleagues can identify with and begin to develop an open and common language around trauma that can help businesses better understand who is likely to be exposed and also provide de-brief training.
The packages are also bespoke to different stakeholders, for example, the operators and who they interact with in terms of processing what they’ve witnessed, and the managers who need to wrap a trauma informed arm around colleagues. Many of these would also be offered advanced practitioner training.
The threat of being caught on camera can act as a deterrent, preventing violence and aggression, but the welfare of colleagues repeatedly witnessing the build-up, the unexpected consequences and the sense of being overwhelmed by what they have witnessed cannot be ignored.
Body-worn cameras in retail are therefore best understood not as a total solution, but as a short term “sticking plaster”, a window into crime in action and a microscope into the minds of those experiencing what is happening in front of them or vicariously miles away. Unpacking this therefore requires a longer term and longer distance cultural approach to trauma both in the store and the SOC.
