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Forensic Crime Scene Investigators (FCSIs) suffer emotionally from the effects of regularly witnessing gruesome crime scenes. The problem is worsened by the increasing rates of crime and violence in Jamaica. This study identifies how repeated exposure to gruesome crime scenes affects FCSIs' personal and professional lives and the coping mechanisms employed by them. Data were collected from 136 FCSIs using a survey instrument comprising 41 open and close-ended items, and structured interviews with nine supervisors of Scene of Crime Units. A paired t-test was conducted to determine the effect of repeated exposure to gruesome crime scenes (GCS) on family relationships among the FCSIs. The results indicate a significant difference between family relationship scores before joining the FCSI Unit and family relationship scores after joining the FCSI Unit, suggesting that repeated exposure to GCS caused a change in how FCSIs interact with their family members. The structured interviews also corroborated a change in their professional relationships. A chi-square test performed to investigate the relationship between coping strategies after processing a GCS with age and gender showed there was no statistically significant association between these variables. This finding indicates that FCSIs islandwide used similar adaptive and nonadaptive coping strategies to mitigate the effects of repeated exposure. After exposure to GCS, Jamaican FCSIs exhibited diminished interpersonal relationships in their personal and professional lives. Some experienced post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms resulting in the use of adaptive and nonadaptive coping mechanisms. Based on these results, collaboration with the FCSI Units and psychiatrists would be beneficial to improve the mental fortitude of Jamaica's FCSIs. In addition, early rotation from the FCSI Unit would significantly reduce the exposure to GCS and the associated trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]