Author:
Mariia Kucova
The "Voices of Children" Charitable Foundation continues to support professionals working with children. A two-day training session titled "Psychological Aspects of Interviewing Children During Wartime in Ukraine" was held for prosecutors and other law enforcement officials.
The program was developed by experts from the "Voices of Children" Center for Psychological Expertise and Methodology, psychologists Nataliia Sosnovenko and Ruslana Moroz. We asked them how the training went and whether they plan to continue it.
Help Yourself First
Law enforcement officials encounter traumatic situations almost daily and must systematically strengthen their resilience and replenish their inner resources. Since they help people, to do this most effectively, they must first take care of themselves.
The program is structured in such a way that professionals working in a 'person-to-person' system must take care of their mental health. That's why we started by emphasizing this,
Ruslana noted.
Ruslana noted.
The psychologists reinforced the theory with practical exercises in relaxation and stabilization, many of which were new to the participants. By applying these techniques on the spot, the participants immediately felt their effects.
Above All — Do No Harm
The main part of the training was devoted to child psychology. Understanding the psychological characteristics of children of different ages allows law enforcement officials to effectively and ethically interview children who have returned from Russian deportation, witnessed or were victims of other enemy crimes, or broke the law.
Such interviews with children in procedural criminal legislation are called interrogations. But we have advocated for a year to call this process an interview because an interrogation is a traumatic situation,
Nataliia remarked.
Nataliia remarked.
Since the summer of 2023, specialists from "Voices of Children" have been involved in providing psychological support to children returned from Russian deportation, both during interviews and directly in our regional centers. Additionally, the foundation participated in developing the "Ethical Guidelines for Interacting with Children Affected by War". Thus, the organization has gained significant expertise in this area.
During interviews with children conducted by law enforcement agencies, it is crucial to create a safe space and convey the image of a trustworthy adult. This allows the child to respond to questions more effectively and helps prevent retraumatization. Even the smallest details matter: eye contact, the manner of addressing the child, and the investigator's clothing.
This process involves several phases, beginning with an initial introduction before the communication in the interview room.
At this stage, it's important to familiarize the child with the surroundings, explain what will be happening, and introduce not only the psychologist and investigator but everyone involved in the process. This helps reduce tension and facilitates eliciting information,
explained Nataliia.
explained Nataliia.
Interacting with a child should be tailored to their age and individual characteristics. For instance, younger children best understand situations through play, so interviews with them should be conducted in the form of game.
It’s also crucial to take into account the emotional state of the child’s parents or other caregivers, as it directly impacts the child’s emotional well-being.
Training Results
Participants were highly motivated. They asked thorough questions that weren’t even covered by the program. We followed the group, responding to what interested them,
shared Ruslana.
shared Ruslana.
The training posed a challenge for the psychologists, as they needed to provide something fresh for professionals who had already attended numerous similar events in Ukraine and abroad. However, Nataliia and Ruslana managed to succeed.
Thus, one participant mentioned that the training was the most useful and interesting one she had attended, particularly because of the practical component.
We are planning another series of online webinars to reach a larger number of professionals working with children,
Nataliia concluded.
Nataliia concluded.
This training was supported by the Partnership Fund For a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU), which is financed by the governments of the United Kingdom, Estonia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United States of America, Finland, Switzerland, and Sweden. With the joint support of the Ukrainian government and partner governments, the Fondation implements projects aimed at strengthening Ukraine's resilience against Russian aggression, primarily in de-occupied and front-line areas. The goal of PFRU is to empower the Ukrainian government to provide critical support to local communities in cooperation with civil society, the media, and the private sector.
This article was prepared with the support of the Partnership Fund For a Resilient Ukraine. The content of this article is the sole responsibility of the "Voices of Children" Charitable Foundation and does not necessarily reflect the position of the Foundation and/or its financial partners.
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