Working with former war victims in a post-conflict setting can be one of the most challenging aspects while investigating human rights violations. Helping people who were victims of violence and injustice and hearing about their sufferings is often an important step in returning to normal life. An honest quest for the truth, which will ultimately identify the harm done to people, is a powerful remedy for the victims.

I have been working as human rights violations researcher in post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina for almost two years. I work closely with former civil war victims, prisoners of war and former camp detainees. During these two years, I have met with a significant number of victims who, in majority of cases, still suffer from the consequences of the abuse, sexual violence and torture they have been through during the period of conflict. My job is to record their stories and testimonies and eventually write report about each case of human rights violations. The job is at the same time both satisfying and hard. To be given an opportunity to record stories that have never been recorded before is truly an amazing thing.

However, working with former war victims can often be frustrating. There are multiple traps that you as a researcher have to be aware of. This is particularly a matter of concern if you are working in your local community because it can be very difficult to maintain objectivity in the situation when you know the victims on personal level and see the effect war crimes have taken on them. The best way to help victims is to keep your objectivity indispensable for conducting an investigation and finally write down a report on the abuse they have experienced. Therefore, in this article I offers five crucial tips that you have to keep in mind if you consider working with former war victims.

1. Be Careful About the Promises You Give

As someone who works closely with war victims, you have to be very careful about the promises you give. The first thing that the victim will evaluate when they meet you is the value of your words. If you promise something and you do not complete it, the victim will, in the worst case, consider you a liar. Even if you do not explicitly promise something, you need to keep in mind that your words are not interpreted as a promise. The words you say during the interview with the victim are very important, because in many cases the victim will give you their full trust by risking their own safety and security of their family.

For example, in my work I meet with a lot of former inmates and war victims who want to remain anonymous for their safety. If I promised them that their identity will remain protected, I have to fulfill that promise. Otherwise, I play out their confidence which can further affect my work in a particular local community, as other victims will see me as an unreliable person. Therefore, it is important to be cautious about the promises you give to the victims. Learn to commit yourself to only those things that you can guarantee. If a victim asks for something that you cannot fulfill, be completely honest with him or her saying that you cannot fulfill it. The victims with whom you will most likely meet are accustomed to the crude reality of a tough life. They prefer to hear the unpleasant truth that is certain rather than pleasantly spoken words in which they have little faith.

2. Be Professional

It is very important that you pay attention to what you say to the victim. Professional standards in documenting serious human rights violations require that you, as someone who moderates and conducts conversation, carefully choose your words in a conversation with victims. The person you are interviewing is not your colleague or your friend. Once you begin an interview you enter in a professional relationship with them. It is best to avoid jokes and sarcastic remarks. Experience has shown me that every additional comment is superfluous. For example, many times it happened that the victims were cursing and saying ugly words about the perpetrators. This is quite understandable and should not be surprising given that many victims still carry anger and fear in themselves for all the injustices they encountered. Many of them suffer from the effects of PTSD and simply cannot control their words. However, as someone who is in charge of conversation you need to be able to listen, but not to comment.

It is very important to know how to “return” the victim to the right conversation. If the victim turns from the topic and begins to talk about other things, you need to ask him or her the question from the interview in order to “return” him or her to their focus. Many times it happened that during the interview the victim turned away from the topic and began to talk about his or her current state and life. Then it is best to ask questions and sub-questions so that the conversation would not go in the wrong direction.

3. Helping Out the Victims – Yes or No?

Many of the victims you encounter will be in a difficult economic state or will live in bad conditions. It’s a very difficult question whether you need to offer your direct help as a researcher. Very often you can be in a situation to help the victim, but, unfortunately, providing such assistance to victims can affect the integrity and credibility of the research. The moment the victim accepts your help he or she loses their credibility. For example, if you offer money to the victim or some other kind of material assistance, this can be considered as a bribe. Your intention was probably not to bribe the victim but to help. However, your credibility as a researcher will fail. In some cases, the victims may give false testimonials in order to gain your sympathies and thus get more help.

The best you can do in these situations is to send the victim to appropriate organizations that can help them. If the organization in which you work is the one that offers help, then it would be most suitable if that is done by another person, not you. If your organization does not offer direct help to victims, then it should collect data and make a list of organizations dealing with this type of work and the rights of victims. This type of assistance to victims is acceptable, but direct material help from you is not.

4. Create a Safe Space

When you are arranging an interview with a victim, it will take some time until he or she does not give you their trust. Many victims need encouragement and some guarantees before they agree to talk. You may need a little skill to persuade the victim to hear your explanation of why it is important for them to work with you and you should be able to explain the importance of this cooperation. Start by presenting yourself and your organization. You need to explain what is that you are researching and why it is important for you to talk to him or her about it. Most victims will usually have additional questions which you should answer honestly and completely.

When you arrange an interview with a victim, it is important to ensure there is a safe space where they feel comfortable enough to talk. A safe space will also enable you and the victim to talk without distractions. Approach the victim to the moment and place where they will not be seen in order to eliminate their fear of talking to you. Avoid coming to their workplace, unless you have previously agreed with them to do so. Experience has shown me that it is best to adapt to the victim and ask her or him where they would feel most comfortable to talk. It is very important to choose a place where you can talk and negotiate a time when the victim is not in a hurry. Most often the victim will usually choose his or her house because it is the place where they feel most at ease, and as a researcher you must always adapt to their desires related to the place.

5. Treat Each Victim Equally

This tip is very straightforward – you must treat each victim equally and with the same respect. Many times you can find yourself in a situation where you think that one victim suffered more than others or that one victim went through the worse abuse than other victim. Of course, the cases are not the same because these are individuals who have a very different experience. However, your opinion on who suffered more or less is not important. What is important is to treat each victim equally.

During the interview, the victims must see that you respect them. Each victim should be carefully approached and treated professionally, sympathetically and with respect to their human dignity. Victims must be given space and opportunity to express their opinions, concerns or objections to your work. The opinions of the victim need to be carefully considered and given the importance they deserve. The victim’s concerns should always be taken into regard, unless this raises the question of the integrity of the research.

The post 5 Crucial Tips About Working With Former War Victims appeared first on Human Rights Careers.

Working in human rights often means working with people who have been exposed to trauma. Things like wars, natural disasters, famines or other extreme events can do major harm to individuals and communities long after the immediate danger has passed. In addition, trauma can arise from localized and interpersonal events like rape, assault, abuse or intimate partner violence. For most human rights workers, it’s safe to assume that you will encounter individuals who have survived trauma regardless of your location or organizational mission.

But if you’re not a trained mental health worker, how should you handle these situations?

What does trauma look like?

It’s important to remember that psychological trauma is an individual experience. Survivors of the same event may react in completely different ways. Because of this, it’s important not to compare any one person’s trauma to another’s. The Sidran Institute for Traumatic Stress Education and Advocacy emphasizes that “trauma is defined by the experiences of the survivor.” Someone who was injured in a bombing may have no lingering trauma, but the person who witnessed the scene from a block away may continue to be triggered. The second person is not weak or wrong, they’re simply having their own experience.

As human rights workers, however, it’s important to note the difference between a natural, emotional response to stress and a potentially-harmful symptom of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A traumatic experience is more likely to lead to PTSD when the individual can’t integrate or make sense of his or her emotional experience, or when the individual continues to feel that there is an impending physical or emotional threat. This can be expressed as a “flashback” when a person’s body is triggered into an emotional response by a sound, touch, smell, or other sensation that reminds them of the original event. Other signs and symptoms include depression, anxiety, memory lapses, trouble sleeping or eating, or suicidal thoughts. Additionally, behavior like aggression, defiance, defensiveness, or even drug and alcohol abuse may actually be a reaction to or attempt to cope with a traumatic experience.

What can you do about it?

Now that you’ve noticed the signs and symptoms of trauma, what should you do about it? If at all possible, your first step should be to bring your questions and concerns to a mental health professional in your organization or area. There are a variety of culturally specific approaches to treating trauma and even a seemingly friendly gesture, like asking someone to share their story, could potentially lead to a re-traumatizing flashback. Unless you have the expertise (or are working under the instructions of such a person) you may quickly get in over your head.

There are, however, plenty of ways for you to respect and care for the traumatized individuals you encounter in your human rights work. Here are several helpful practices that you can implement regardless of your position or mental health training.

Respect personal space

Physical touch can be a trigger for many individuals, especially those who have been traumatized by physical or sexual violence. Be careful not to touch someone if they’re not expecting it, especially if you’re not in their direct line of sight. This is especially important if you are working in a cultural context that is not your own. Be sure to defer to the local customs regarding bodily contact. Is a hug a standard greeting or something reserved for close friends and family members? What are the norms regarding physical touch between members of the opposite sex? If you’re not sure, you should take your cues from local residents or long-time aid workers in the region.

Establish clear and respectful rules and policies

Living with trauma means living with uncertainty. You can help by providing a stable, consistent, and safe environment. Whether you are offering direct service, coalition building, or doing advocacy work make sure people can depend on you to follow through on your commitments and clearly communicate your process. Trauma survivors often have lived through an experience that was senseless or outside of their control. If a new policy is impacting their daily lives take the time to explain what is happening and why. And if at all possible, incorporate the reasonable requests of community members. This allows everyone, including trauma survivors, the chance to have positive influence in the world around them.

Reframe deficits into strengths

Language like “victims of trauma” reinforces the traumatic event and erases the agency of the individual. Instead, try using terms like “trauma survivor” that focus on the person and their strengths. You may not have the power to cure someone’s depression, for example, but you can praise them for taking small, positive steps like eating a healthy meal. Even if the individual is making slow progress find a way to emphasize what they’re doing right.

Take care of yourself!

You can’t help others unless you’re also taking care of yourself. Terms like compassion stress, compassion fatigue, and vicarious traumatization have been used to describe how those who work with traumatized individuals are also at risk for emotional distress. A survey by the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice found that that almost 40% of human rights workers had PTSD or significant symptoms and 15% reported depression. Sources of trauma can include hearing stories through interviews, visiting sites of violence, or witnessing violence or deprivation of basic needs. Human rights work can also itself be dangerous, with 20% of survey respondent reporting an incident of beating or detention in relation to their work.

The most important way to help trauma survivors is to stay safe and reach out for mental and emotional support when you need it. If you don’t have access to a mental health professional, build in time for accountability check-ins with some friends or co-workers. Take the time to listen to each other’s needs and struggles. If you get into this habit on a regular basis then you’ll have a built-in support network when things get hard.

The post Basic Tips on Working with Traumatized Populations appeared first on Human Rights Careers.