Humanity, Dignity and Empathy

Examples of how to demonstrate this

• Prioritising the dignity and humanity of all persons in all circumstances [MC 1.4]

• Focusing on the person, not their information

• Trying to understand how a survivor might be feeling when they meet you; why they meet you; and when they speak about their story

• Putting yourself in the shoes of a survivors and having empathy and understanding of their situation

• Active listening and making someone feel heard. Being attentive to the survivor’s story and what they want to say (even if it is not what you want to hear) [MC 10.7]

• Making the effort to understand what is important to a survivor [MC 1.3] and taking the time to understand what they are trying to communicate

• Taking the time to understand what makes a survivor feel safe (and unsafe)

• Recognising and responding to another person’s emotions and concerns

• Displaying sense of concern for others and their well-being

• Acknowledging a survivor’s efforts by thanking them for their time and courage [MC 3.2, 10.4]

• Respects self-identity of a survivor and reflects it in how they address them [MC 1.7]

Examples of non-aligned/challenging behaviour

• Being cold, aloof and disconnected (rather than warm, kind and human)

• Rushing or making a survivor feel like you don’t have time or are too busy to give them your time, e.g. repeatedly looking at your watch

• Being distracted by your phone or electronics or trying to multi-task, e.g. taking a call while you are with a survivor.

• Interrupting or talking over the top of a survivor or cutting a survivor off as they try to tell you about wider circumstances, beyond your focus/objectives

• Making it difficult for a survivor to speak, ask questions or say no

• Being disrespectful of a survivor’s time by making them wait or asking them to attend somewhere which is not convenient for them

• Taking a long time with survivors or setting times for meetings without their agreement/consideration and without consideration of their other commitments and priorities, well-being and energy levels

• Requesting information direct from survivors when your role or mandates does not require it or there is no added value to survivors [MC 4.3 and 10.8]

• Failing to recognise or appropriately respond to someone’s emotional reaction

• Letting own reactions impact the interaction, including own triggers, emotions, discomfort, disgust, distress, tears, etc [MC 9.1]

• Making a survivor feel that they are a means to an end for you, like they are just another number, just another case, just another day on the job for you

• Communicating in a language which is disrespectful or inappropriate