The manual provides good practice guidelines and suggestions on steps to establish and improve monitoring and evaluation systems and how to conduct monitoring, clinical audits, service-related evaluations and clinical outcome evaluation. It is aimed at managers, practitioners and those responsible for designing, establishing and developing monitoring and evaluation of rehabilitation services for torture survivors in their organisations
The report is based on two years of review of records in the public domain by a 19-member task force. The report details how DoD and CIA policies institutionalized a variety of interventions by military and intelligence agency doctors and psychologists that breach ethical standards to promote well-being and avoid harm.
The report is to highlight key issues and lessons learned from the worldwide work of United Nations Commissions in their experiences in the promotion of justice and the rule of law in conflict and post-conflict societies. Specially the leanings that have been a raised during the work with societies that have been victims of large-scale abuses. The concepts of Justice, Rule of Law and Transitional Justice that United Nations commissions worldwide takes as point of referent are also explained in this report.
This is a summary of the report from a meeting on Responding to the psychosocial and mental health needs of sexual violence survivors in conflict-affected settings, organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
While outside of South Africa the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was widely perceived as a model process for dealing with a legacy of violence and human rights violations, within the country substantial criticism has been voiced as to how “just” the TRC really was and on which level shortcomings and failures – either of a fundamental nature, rooted in the concept of the TRC, or as an artefact of how an “initially good idea” was carried out – may be located.
Presentation of some programs and funds USIP is taking care of. The institute strives to encourage more practice and scholarly work on women, and seeks to deepen understanding of the role of women in conflict and Peace
South Africa´s gendered past was never substantially addressed by the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) despite attempts by women groups to ensure its inclusion
This report summarizes the challenges in supporting women in the process of transitional justice, also focusing on the important role women play here. There are also suggestions how to implement solutions (24 pages, .pdf, for historical reference).
Children constitute an important part of asylum seekers whether they arrive With their families or alone. In 2003, there were more than 17 million refugees (43 per cent of refugees), asylum seekers and others who are of concern to the UNHCR. Of these millions of people, it is estimated that children under the age of five make up 11 per cent and 32 per cent are children aged six to seventeen. Many of these children have experienced war, violence, acts of cruelty and similar traumas. Others have been exposed indirectly through their parents traumatizing experiences. Such experiences are today increasingly recognized as being a similar burden to a child as if they are assaulted themselves. The adults often have very big problems and the children run the risk of having their problems concealed. Registration data and statistics are generally not produced in a way that makes the exposed situation of children visible. The childrens reasons for asylum in their own right are rarely investigated.
The inquiry into asylum support for children and young people received written submissions and heard oral evidence from over 200 individuals and organisations, including local authorities, safeguarding boards and academics. The panel considered perspectives from health, poverty, housing, well-being and asylum support experts, and heard directly from families with experience of living on asylum support. The evidence shows that the current asylum support system is in urgent need of reform if it is to have regard to the safety and wellbeing of children and meet its obligations to promote children’s best interests
Adopted particularly for Physicians, in the Protection of Prisoners and Detainees against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Adopted by General Assembly resolution 37/194 of 18 December (1982)
By mapping existing community-based protection initiatives, structures and approaches, the study intended to identify effective and sustainable community-based mechanisms and offer recommendations in order to help support the development of its community-based child protection strategy in Uganda and in the DRC.
This report aims at giving an insight into the treatment of children in armed conflict, with a primary focus on children in detention. It also provides an overview on psychosocial responses, as developed by Save the Children and the EJ-YMCA, whereas the last part discusses the role of community in the re-integration process of children and presents a list of recommendations when dealing with this subject.
A reference guide for anyone who wishes to know how to take action in response to allegations of torture or ill-treatment. It explains simply and clearly how the process of reporting and submitting complaints to international bodies and mechanisms actually works, and how to make the most of it: how you might go about documenting allegations, what you can do with the information once it has been collected, how to choose between the various mechanisms according to your particular objectives, and how to present your information in a way which makes it most likely that you will obtain a response.
A practical guide that aims at providing torture rehabilitation centres and other NGOs involved in anti-torture activities with easily accessible and practical advice on how to most effectively engage with and contribute to country visits by the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) to promote relevant and high quality outcomes from the visit.
The article offers an overview discussion of ethnocultural aspects of PTSD, with special attention to major conceptual issues, clinical considerations, and therapy practices. The historical circumstances leading to the widespread acceptance of PTSD among conventional mental health professionals, and the subsequent criticisms that emerged from scholars, humanitarian workers, and ethnocultural minorities are presented as an important background to the current controversial status of the concept, especially with regard to arguments regarding the ethnocultural determinants of PTSD (10 pags, .pdf).
A practical operational manual that aims at providing torture rehabilitation centres and other NGOs involved in anti-torture activities with easily accessible and practical advice on how to most effectively engage with and contribute to country visits by the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) to promote relevant and high quality outcomes from the visit.
A practical guide that aims at providing torture rehabilitation centres and other NGOs involved in anti-torture activities with easily accessible and practi cal advice on how to most effectively engage with and contribute to country visits by the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) to promote relevant and high quality outcomes from the visit.
Liberia provides an interesting case study of the role women have played in peace building in the West African context. Liberian women played an integral role in bringing an end to armed conflict.
The conference considered successes in advocacy and litigation under the legal framework on torture: the recognition of certain forms of harm inflicted by both state and non-state actors including rape, domestic violence, female genital mutilation and denial of reproductive rights as torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and the practical effect this recognition has had in actual cases to hold states to account for their failure to prevent such violations, and to provide a remedy to victims.
The new manual aims to support and strengthen the work of international, regional and national actors involved in OPCAT ratification and implementation. It provides concrete examples of good practice drawn from around the world.
IBUKA and its 15 member organisations, the Survivors Fund (SURF) and REDRESS (the Organisations) submit this discussion paper to the Government of Rwanda to help progress discussions on reparation for survivors of the genocide with survivors, survivor organisations and other stakeholders. The Organisations propose a range of options that could be explored further with a view to ensuring that survivors ultimately secure reparation, in particular in the form of rehabilitation, restitution and compensation.
REDRESS (2012) is a human rights organisation that helps torture survivors obtain justice and reparation. This article gives more information about what reparation means for the survivor.
Traumatic stress is not just a problem for western humanitarian workers who relocate (usually temporarily) to developing countries and disaster zones for the sake of their job. In fact, the majority of humanitarian workers worldwide are from non-western cultural backgrounds, working in their home country (from page 12).
It is important to provide culturally sensitive trauma-informed treatment to Latino/Hispanic clients. While many of the following recommendations are good practice when working with Latino/Hispanic clients, it is also important to remain flexible. The intervention that works with one family may not be appropriate for another.
The frequent changes to the definition of traumatic events may have inadvertently accentuated the importance of addressing the culture-specific dimension of trauma and with that, the need to assess severe stressors within their social-political-moral context.
This study, based on a household survey of 125 victims of torture and massive violence in Kosovo, aimed to expand current understanding of the diagnostic overlap of pain and PTSD and explore their independent and interactive effect on career change, sleep disorder and suicide ideation. The role of anger and hatred as contributing factors to the persistence of pain and PTSD were also examined .
Article 14 provides that States Parties should ensure a victim of torture with an effective remedy and that there is an enforceable right to compensation and rehabilitation. The Committee against torture has in this third general comment explained and clarified what this particular article means.
These guidelines reflect the insights of practitioners from different geographic regions, disciplines and sectors, and reflect an emerging consensus on good practice among practitioners. The core idea behind them is that, in the early phase of an emergency, social supports are essential to protect and support mental health and psychosocial well-being. In addition, the guidelines recommend selected psychological and psychiatric interventions for specific problems. The guidelines include key activities for the campaign such as advocacy events, developing plans of action, coordination tools and checklist to identify gaps. It also includes key messages and ideas for implementation to communities, governments, donors, UN organizations and NGOs. The guidelines is translated to 14 differe3nt languages and can be used as:
1) A guide for programme planning and design
2) Advocacy for better practice
3) Resource for interventions or actions
4) A coordinating tool
5) Checklist to identify gaps
This handbook is meant to be a quick-reference tool that provides practical guidance on leadership roles, key responsibilities and specific actions to be taken when establishing and maintaining a GBV coordination mechanism in an emergency. The handbook is based on the Inter-agency Standing Committee’s (IASC) Guidelines for Gender-based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Settings (2005) and also takes into account lessons learned, good practices and emerging resources related to GBV coordination within the cluster approach/humanitarian reform process as well as relatively recent global initiatives on GBV in emergencies, such as UN Action.
Child development. The present research examines posttraumatic resilience in extremely exposed children and adolescents based on interviews with 330 former Ugandan child soldiers. Despite severe trauma exposure, 27.6% showed posttraumatic resilience as indicated by the absence of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and clinically significant behavioral and emotional problems. Among these former child soldiers, posttraumatic resilience was associated with lower exposure to domestic violence, lower guilt cognitions, less motivation to seek revenge, better socioeconomic situation in the family, and more perceived spiritual support. Among the youth with significant psychopathology, many of them had symptoms extending beyond the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder, in keeping with the emerging concept of developmental trauma disorder.
When working with refugee children and their families, the most effective practitioners provide comprehensive services, are culturally competent, and integrate evidence-based practice with practice-based evidence. Truly rich multicultural practice involves a process of community engagement that allows for dialogue, questioning, and adaptation of practice to fit a group’s beliefs and values while still providing culturally informed, effective care.
The update of the Guide on Children and Armed Conflict is a welcome effort to record developments with regard to the normative framework that guides international action on children and armed conflict. The last decade has seen major developments in this regard and the issue of children and armed conflict has united Member States across continents in their determination to take firm action, especially against perpetrators.
This report describes current child soldier and DDR programs, as well as gaps, funding needs and overlaps identified by those organizations. It further outlines proposals for information sharing and more effective advocacy work on child soldier issues in the sub-region. Ideas for new research are also proposed. this report is not an evaluation or compilation of best practices, but an attempt to share knowledge about the organizations working on DDR in the region, giving an overview of programs being undertaken by child protection agencies in West Africa. It does not intend to give a complete picture and many relevant and important programs and activities are not mentioned here simply because it was not possible to meet every stakeholder.
What good and what harm can visits to detained torture victims do? This question is deliberately provocative, for it may seem somewhat unreasonable to wonder how visits to prisoners (l) who have been seriously ill-treated and even tortured could themselves do harm if those visits are carried out by an independent organization staffed by well-intentioned individuals following recognized procedures .
The objective of this Baseline Study on Torture in Uganda is to obtain a clear understanding of the situation of victims of torture and conflict in the country and to assess the key issues pertinent to improving access to justice and adequate and effective forms of reparation. The Baseline Study is intended to serve as the foundation for further work in support of torture survivors in the country, and is intended to be of benefit not only to REDRESS and ACTV, but other civil society groups, government agencies and others working towards these goals in Uganda.
In 2009, at least 346 children were killed in aerial strikes and search-and-raid operations by international special forces as well as by assassinations and suicide bombings by anti-government elements. In addition, landmines, explosive remnants of war and other explosives have killed or severely injured hundreds of children, particularly boys who play outside, tend animals, or collect food, water or wood. Armed groups have also damaged and destroyed schools, targeting students (especially girls), teachers and others who are seen as supportive of Afghanistan’s education system.
According to the (2000) Census, 1 of every 5 children in the United States is a child of immigrants either a child who is an immigrant or has at least one immigrant parent. While most children who experience mental health problems have limited access to help, children who have migrated to this country, especially under difficult circumstances, face particular challenges.
A range of health and legal experts from around the world share their knowledge and experiences on documenting and reporting cases of alleged torture.
The field manual is specifically directed towards the rehabilitation of survivors of torture or organised violence, from 3 months after the trauma and onwards. This compilation is an attempt to provide practical recommendations for health workers at different skill levels, who are in difficult situations with little or no specialized professional help available.
The article discusses the challenges and opportunities faced when integrating participatory methods into human rights-based research. It describes the development of a participatory action research approach designed to fulfil the aim of undertaking advocacy-focused research grounded in human rights and community participation. It reflects the principles of anti-oppressive social work and the ethics of undertaking research with vulnerable populations. In line with other contributions to this special issue, the article explores questions such as: Where does knowledge about the story come from and how is it passed on?; What spurs ethical thinking at an individual and organizational level?; and How can ethical sensitivity and strategic effectiveness be combined?
History of torture and other traumatic experience of violence and functional assessment of victims.Organised crime and political violence (OPV) and human rights violations has been present in Bangladesh since 1971. This study describes the patterns of OPV and human rights violations in a disturbed area of Bangladesh and assesses the physical, emotional and social functioning of victims. A detailed picture of characteristics of the victimisation is presented. The participants showed poor emotional well-being and reduced physical capacity. The results indicated that the simple and rapid method of assessment used here is a promising tool that could be used to monitor the quality and outcome of rehabilitation.
The HESPER Scale was developed to fill the gap between the population-based objective indicators (for example malnutrition or mortality indicators), and the qualitative data based on convenience samples (for example through focus groups or key informant interviews). It aims to provide a method for assessing perceived needs in representative samples of populations affected by large-scale humanitarian emergencies in a valid and reliable manner. This manual includes the HESPER Scale, as well as a detailed explanation of how to use the HESPER Scale, how to train interviewers, and how to organise, analyze and report on a HESPER survey.
This training workshop module intended as a guide to train people in how to respond to the psychosocial effects of disasters. It aims to help psycho-social program administrators and trainers to give training to their staff in understanding how disasters affect children and adults, how people cope with the emotional effects of disasters and how one can facilitate community’s natural recovery process. It also aims to equip them with basics of psychosocial intervention and communication skills aimed at reducing distress, improving adaptive functioning in the face of the practical and emotional demands created by the disaster, and preventing longer-term disability.
The primary aim of this report is to review possible theoretical underpinnings and practical methods utilized by psychosocial sports programs in helping children traumatized in disaster. The method of assessment will be to examine existing research and documentation on the subject of psychosocial sports interventions with youth traumatized by disasters, and to draw upon the learning examples from currently active psychosocial sports programs in the field.
Colombia has been seriously affected by an internal armed conflict for more than 40 years affecting mainly the civilian population, who is forced to displace, suffers kidnapping, extortion, threats and assassinations. Between 2005 and 2008, Médecins Sans Frontières-France provided psychological care and treatment in the region of Tolima, a strategic place in the armed conflict. The mental health program was based on a short-term multi-faceted treatment developed according to the psychological and psychosomatic needs of the population. Here we describe the population attending during 2005-2008, in both urban and rural settings, as well as the psychological treatment provided during this period and its outcomes.
This entry is in four parts. The first part addresses the question what is torture?; the second part, what is wrong with torture?; the third part, is torture ever morally justifiable?; and the last part, should torture ever be legalised or otherwise institutionalised
The development of services to meet the needs of Afghan refugees, most of whom are traumatised by years of war and internecine violence, requires a sophisticated blend of counselling strategies and culturally-informed pragmatism. This article outlines the approach that Mehraby has found most useful in dealing with this extraordinary client population (10 pages).
An important international standard is the United Nations Principles for the Protection of Persons with Mental Illness and for the Improvement of Mental Health Care. It has proved to be particularly valuable in applying human rights recognised in other instruments to people with mental illness and to situations affecting them (for historical reference).
This report captures the persisting, distressing and daily experiences of inadequate mental health and community care. It details personal stories of people with mental illness, and their families and carers. Such stories are often excluded from other national reports.The report also includes the strong views of doctors, nurses, psychologists and other professionals who provide mental health services in Australia.
OMCT established a full programme to focus on the socio-economic dimensions of torture, arbitrary detentions, summary executions, enforced disappearances and other forms of illtreatment. OMCT has also established specific programmes addressing violence against women, violence against children and violence against human rights defenders.
This paper addresses the legal framework and medical and psychological impacts of torture on children. Part One, Legal Framework, begins by showing the three characteristics that legally distinguish torture from child abuse, by definition: Torture is committed by an agent of the state or someone acting with the encouragement or acquiescence of the state. Torture is committed for the purpose of obtaining information or a confession; to intimidate, coerce or punish the immediate victim or a third person; or as part of discrimination. Torture must cause severe pain or suffering. Because of these differences, torture should be treated differently to child abuse, in particular with regard to law enforcement. The fact that torture is committed by a representative of the state justifies a stronger response. That it involves severe pain or suffering is another reason that the response must be proportionate.
Few psychosocial and mental health care systems have been reported for children affected by political violence in low and middle income settings and there is a paucity of research-supported recommendations. This paper describes afield tested multi-layered psychosocial care system for children (focus age between 8-14 years), aiming to translate common principles and guidelines into a comprehensive support package
Children separated from their parents and families because of conflict, population displacement or natural disasters are among the most vulnerable. Separated from those closest to them, these children have lost the care and protection of their families in the turmoil, just when they most need them. They face abuse and exploitation, and even their very survival may be threatened. They may assume adult responsibilities, such as protecting and caring for younger sisters and brothers. Children and adolescents who have lost all that is familiar – home, family, friends, stability – are potent symbols of the dramatic impact of humanitarian crises on individual lives.
Children and adults exposed to chronic interpersonal trauma consistently demonstrate psychological disturbances that are not captured in the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis.found that victims of prolonged interpersonal trauma, particularly trauma early in the life cycle, had a high incidence of problems with regulation of affect and impulses, memory and attention, self-perception, interpersonal relations, somatization, and systems of meaning. This raises important issues about the categorical versus the dimensional nature of posttraumatic stress, as well as the issue of comorbidity in PTSD.
These Guidelines offer practical advice on how to design strategies and carry out activities aimed at preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence. They also contain information on basic health, legal, security and human rights issues relevant to those strategies and activities (168 pages).
This manual is for humanitarian health actors working at national and sub-national level in countries facing emergencies and crises. It applies to Health Cluster partners, including governmental and non-governmental health service providers. Based on the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings (IASC, 2007), this document gives an overview of essential knowledge that humanitarian health actors should have about mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in humanitarian emergencies.
This report reviews the current state of the field on the psychosocial adjustment, mental health and wellbeing of former child soldiers. In the first part of the report we review what is currently known about the effects of childrens participation in armed forces on their psychological, economic and social wellbeing. In the second part of the report we discuss two main paradigms that dominate the field of service delivery for war-affected youth: the psychosocial approach and the clinical/psychiatric approach (102 pages).
This report sums up the findings of extensive research on the needs of families of missing persons in Nepal. The objective of the report is both to give a voice to the families of persons unaccounted for in relation to the 1996-2006 armed conflict in Nepal, and to provide stakeholders in the peace process under way in Nepal since 2006 with information giving them a better understanding of the families’ needs.
This article looks at the Center for Torture and Trauma Survivors’ therapy group model for torture survivors and describes two of its variants: The Bashal group for African and Somali women and the Bhutanese multi-family therapy group. Group therapies in this model extend to community healing. Groups develop their cohesion to graduate to a social community club or initiate a community organization.