Whistleblowers have reactions to their situation similar to the reactions of crime victims. There are three stages in whistleblower reactions: impact, recoil, and reorganization. The impact stage is characterized by disbelief, disorientation, disorganization, feelings of vulnerability, suggestibility, and difficulty in recalling details. For whistleblowers, the impact stage begins when they report the crime and can last up to 72 hours. In the recoil stage, whistleblowers commonly exhibit intense anger, resentment, extreme shame, or guilt, as well as phobic reactions to details of the crime, particular places, times of day, and kinds of people. During the reorganization stage, feelings of fear and rage slowly diminish as the victim thinks and talks less about the crime. Whistleblowers will be unable to achieve this stage of resolution while the criminal case is pending. To overcome barriers such as anger and fear and to collect and preserve the most accurate testimony possible from government whistleblowers, investigators should focus on informers' emotional agendas. Investigators must also remember that good information is best preserved by keeping the source of that information informed. In the final analysis, a whistleblower who knows what to expect from the investigative and judicial process is more likely to be an effective and credible witness. 2 notes