Trauma Awareness and Understanding

Elements expected for all roles

Examples of statements or behaviours which indicate the need for further development

• What trauma is, and its potential impacts including on memory and recall of traumatic events

• Myths, misconceptions, stereotypes and misassumptions about trauma

• Specific signs and symptoms of trauma and distress (including recognising gender, age, setting and individual-specific)

• What can be triggers or reminders of trauma, such as places, smells, sounds, objects such as uniforms, types of food, etc

• Red flag signs and symptoms which require immediate expert intervention (escalation protocol/emergency response signs)

• The long-term sustained need for support and the complexity of ‘recovery’ for survivors

• The main elements of a trauma-informed approach (safety, trust, choice/empowerment, collaboration and cultural, social and gender considerations)

• Signs and symptoms of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burn-out [MC 7.10]

• Basic measures to prevent, mitigate and respond to vicarious trauma and burn-out [MC 7.10]

• What impact their own well-being, stress, trauma, triggers and fatigue have on their interactions with survivors [MC 9.1]

• Assumes people who have suffered trauma will exhibit extreme emotional states or the same emotions [MC 1.2]

• Assumes people who have suffered trauma do not have the capacity to make decisions [MC 1.2]

• Assumes people who have suffered trauma will recall all the details in a chronological order, [MC 10.2] E.g. asking a survivor very detailed questions to test whether they are telling the truth

• Does not know what restimulation or retraumatisation is [MC 10.2]

• Believing that one-off support is sufficient for recovery (minimising impact and trauma)

• Not recognising impact of own issues on interactions with survivors [MC 9.1]

• Unaware of signs of burn-out and vicarious trauma in themselves and others [MC 7.10]

Expected for all roles

Specific to programming (designing and delivering SCRSV programming)

Specific to survivor interaction roles (direct interaction with survivor to gather information)

Examples of behaviour which indicate a need for further development

• Apply understanding of trauma into their work and approach to others including how work is planned, resourced (time, logistics, personnel, support, location, etc.)

• Observe and recognise signs of distress, emotional dysregulation, vicarious trauma,  burn-out, etc. of those involved in this work

• Ability to responsibly manage own self-care and maintain healthy boundaries

  See also Working with People of Diverse Genders,  Abilities and Ages for basic referrals and escalation protocols

• Design, resource, implement and monitor a trauma-informed approach into SCRSV information gathering and use work

• Design, resource, implement and monitor measures for self care,  safe work protocols and support systems as a core part of programming (including frontline supervision, buddy systems, hot debriefs, check-ins) [MC 7.10]

  See also Working with People of Diverse Genders,  Abilities and Ages for basic referrals and escalation protocols

• Observe, monitor, recognise and respond to stress and trauma responses, body language, anxiety including your own, eye contact and demeanour before, during and after interviews [MC 10.2]

• Plan, structure and conduct interviews to help minimise retraumatisation

• Assess basic readiness for information sharing – if expert assistance/screening not available (screening/pre-interview stages)

• Understand what makes a survivor comfortable and what might be a trigger (e.g. For women and girls held by ISIS, black clothing and beards)

• Facilitate basic grounding exercises (for survivors and self) which can help with restimulation and retraumatisation (basic psychological first aid)

• Close an interview/recounting in a way which brings the survivor to a safe place, including discussing what to expect in the days following recounting/interview. [MC 10.4] (See also Safe Communications and Interviews)

  See also Working with People of Diverse Genders,  Abilities and Ages for basic referrals and escalation protocols

• Taking a survivor to where it happened as a ‘re-enactment’ to get information/recount what happened

• Confronting a survivor with a perpetrator

• prioritising the number of interviews scheduled over a few days, over needs of survivor and well-being of interviewer/interpreter/self

• Assuming someone does not need support or is not traumatised because they are not crying, are laughing, or behaving in other ways you may not expect

• Ignoring or not recognising red flags and signs of distress or retraumatisation and persisting with questions/interview

• Being unprepared for survivor disclosure of risk of self-harm or thoughts of suicide

• Telling a survivor that you know how they feel when you cannot/do not

• Setting an interview location without seeking to understand where a survivor might feel comfortable, e.g. interviewing a survivor in a hotel room or an office, when the SV took place somewhere similar

• Stopping an interview or taking a break every time a survivor cries, without asking the survivor what they need

• Trying to stop/suppress emotions due to own discomfort, e.g. telling a survivor to ‘be strong’, ‘please don’t cry’ 

• Showing signs of considerable stress but taking no steps to manage or respond to it

  See also Working with People of Diverse Genders,  Abilities and Ages for basic referrals and escalation protocols

Associated Values

Examples of attitudes or approaches which indicate need for further development

Core Values: Composure and Balance; Humanity, Dignity and Empathy

Approaches:

• Models, promotes and supports self-care, well-being and duty of care culture with work, partners and those engaged during work

• Prioritises support first and ahead of work

• Seeks help and support from others as necessary

• Exhibits positive coping mechanisms and healthy responses to stress and trauma

• Provoking pain/emotion/trauma in a survivor to achieve your objectives (get a story, funding or impact evidence e.g.)

• Believing understanding trauma is someone else’s role or responsibility

• Getting embarrassed by own and other people’s emotions

• Assuming someone is lying if they are not crying or emotional, or are not behaving in other ways you may expect [MC 1.2]

• Creating or perpetuating work culture of long hours, self-sacrifice and overwork, without regard to self-care or well-being of others