FACILITATOR’S GUIDE
Module 4 of 5: Responding to a GBV Disclosure
TIME: 90 minutes, including activities
OUTCOME: To understand how non-GBV specialists can safely and supportively respond to an incident of GBV within the services available
OBJECTIVES:
- To gain an understanding of basic approaches to providing support to a survivor who discloses an incident
- Review referral pathways in the setting
- Understand how to supportGBV survivors by providing psychological first aid (PFA)
- Pieces of paper prepared for the “I believe you” activity
- Flip chart with the LIVES acronym written on it in advance
- Yarn or string for the referral web activity
- If available in the setting, a copyof the existing referral pathway for survivors (if not available, samples are including in the training folder in Module 4 Handouts folder
- Confidentiality, consent and right to choose
- Right or Wrong handout
- This session should move very quickly because there are a number of different exercises to be completed. Be sure to be familiar with them all in order to keep the pace brisk
- Emphasize throughout the training that this module seeks to support non-GBV specialists in the appropriate response to GBV incidents. It does not seek to train non GBV-specialists (WASH, shelter, nutrition, etc.) in specialized care (health, legal, security and psychosocial) for survivors.
- The notes indicate that before the roleplay, facilitator(s) should distribute to each participant a copy of a referral pathway that exits in their setting. Note that if a referral pathway has not been created yet, this should be a high priority for GBV partners. For the purposes of the training, facilitators can access a sample of a referral pathway from the Module 4 Handouts Folder or from the GBV AoR website to distribute to participants. The sample referral pathway can be used to illustrate the various points of service that survivors might access.
- Whenever roleplays are conducted, support participants to provide constructive criticisms to colleagues.
- For some sectors (e.g. the health sector) there will be specialists in the audience who have had prior training on survivor-centered care and support. However, the point of this session is to assist NON-SPECIALISTS from any sector to be able to feel comfortable providing a referral to a survivor. Where specialists are in the room, use them to support the learning of the non-specialists.
- The case studies at the end of the module are optional. They can be used to further understand, and apply guiding principles. Facilitators will need to consider time constraints when reviewing which activities to include in the training.
Slide # / Notes
1 / Note: This is an optional session—separate from the review of the programme cycle elements within the Guidelines—that focuses how to provide a referral in a supportive, non-stigmatizing way. It is recommended for all participants.
- Emphasize that this module is oriented toward non-GBV specialists (shelter, CCCM, WASH, nutrition, mine action, etc.)
- It is not intended to teach non-GBV specialists, for example, a WASH engineer, how to provide psychosocial support or advise on health services.
- This module will focus on the type of support and referrals that can safely be provided by non-GBV specialists when incidents of GBV are disclosed.
- This module does not advocate for non-GBV specialists to provide specialized services (health, psychosocial, legal, security).
TIME: 15 minutes
OBJECTIVES: To build awareness and sensitivity to the challenges faced by survivors of sexual violence in seeking care.
MATERIALS:
- Pieces of paper for statements
- None
- Prepare statements prior to the activity
- This activity may be used as a warm-up activity if participants need an energizer
- On one small piece of paper write: “I am a victim of domestic violence.” On other small pieces of paper (enough so that every participant gets one) write “I don’t believe you.” Ask for a volunteer to leave the room. When the volunteer is in the hallway, give her the piece of paper and let her know that the people inside the room are her community, and she is seeking help from them. When she goes back into the room, she should go to each person in the room and read what is on her piece of paper. Then leave the volunteer outside of the room for a moment, and go inside and hand one piece of paper to each participant. Tell them that whatever the volunteer says to them, they should answer with what is on their piece of paper. Have the participant come back into the room and approach each person, one-by-one. After the participant has gone around the room, ask her to leave the room again. Give two or three people in the room new pieces of paper with the sentence “I believe you.” Tell everyone else to answer according to the piece of paper they were first given. Ask the volunteer to come back into the room and begin again in her efforts to seek assistance. Have the volunteer continue to try and seek assistance until she arrives at someone who responds with “I believe you.” Stop the game at the point and ask the volunteer how she felt in trying to seek assistance in a community where so few were willing/able to assist her.
- Programming to address GBV often starts with the efforts of NGOs and ourselves. Chances are that many survivors will not seek help because they will be discouraged by the prevailing attitudes of the community and/or because it may be difficult for them find/access the available services. Any efforts to reduce GBV and encourage survivors to seek assistance must work at many levels and across many sectors to ensure that entire communities are engaged around the issue of GBV. It is critical that all humanitarian workers who engage with affected populations have a basic understanding of where survivors can access help, and how to provide a referral in a supportive, non-stigmatizing way.
- In the implementation section of every thematic area of the GBV Guidelines, there are recommendations that ALL humanitarian actors who engage with affected populations should have information about how to provide referrals for survivors. Understanding how to do so safely and supportively is therefore part of their role as humanitarians, regardless of sector.
2 / Ask participants what a ‘survivor centred approach’ means to them
3 /
- The survivor-centred approach is important for several reasons:
The survivor-centred approach can guide professionals—regardless of their role—in their engagement with persons who have experienced GBV.
It aims to create a supportive environment in which a GBV survivor’s rights are respected, safety is ensured, and the survivor is treated with dignity andrespect .
The approach helps to promote a survivor’s recovery and strengthen her or his ability to identify and express needs and wishes; it also reinforces the person’s capacity to make decisions about possible interventions (adapted from IASC Gender SWG and GBV AoR, 2010).
4 /
- Key elements of the survivor-centred approach include:
Confidentiality: Confidentiality reflects the belief that people have the right to choose to whom they will, or will not, tell their story. Maintaining confidentiality means not disclosing any information at any time to any party without the informed consent of the person concerned. Confidentiality promotes safety, trust and empowerment.
Respect: The survivor is the primary actor, and the role of helpers is to facilitate recovery and provide resources for problem-solving. All actions taken should be guided by respect for the choices, wishes, rights and dignity of the survivor.
Non-discrimination: Survivors of violence should receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their age, gender, race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic.
- Some of these points will be explored further when we discuss providing referrals to survivors and those at risk of GBV.
5 /
- The next section will focus on referrals, and specifically the role of a non-specialist in understanding and using referral mechanisms
- The intent is for participants to reflect upon or learn how to provide a referral in a supportive, non-stigmatizing way.
6 /
- Read the slide aloud
7 /
- Ask participants how they would describe a referral mechanism
- There are four key areas for survivor support services: psychosocial, security and protection, legal/justice and/or economic reintegration support
8 /
- Emphasize that each survivor is unique and may have multiple, different needs. For example, some survivors may require psychosocial support while others will not.
- This discussion of referrals focuses on how non-specialized actors across multiple sectors can be aware of and link to specialized services that are survivor-centred
9 /
- GBV occurs in all contexts, emergencies and others.It is therefore the responsibility of every humanitarian actor to understand how to respond if s/he receives a disclosure.
- As illustrated in the slide, there are numerous individuals that may receive disclosure by a GBV survivor; and in each case that individual has the responsibility to provide honest and complete information about services available.
- All humanitarian actors are responsible for being aware of support services for GBV survivors so as to be able to safely and effectively provide referrals (not to deliver such services themselves).
10 / ACTIVITY: Referral Web
TIME: 30 minutes
OBJECTIVES: To identify aspects of referral mechanisms that may compromise a survivor-centred response.
MATERIALS:
- Yarn or string for the referral web activity
- None
- Adapt the activity prior to the training, ensuring that the roles are appropriate to the context. For example, a traditional birth attendant of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) officer may not be applicable in all settings. Work with local GBV specialists in advance of the training or review the published Standard Operating Procedures for responding to GBV (SOPs)and adapt the activity/roles as needed.
- Ask for volunteers to play the roles of different individuals. Distribute the pre-made “service provider” name tags to the appropriate number of people. Ask these individuals to play the role of the person noted on their name tag.
- Where necessary change the role of the below to reflect the current support structure where you work. For example, where a CP case worker assumes the role of a DSWD protection officer, change this role card.
- Mother
- Community leader
- Traditional birth attendant
- Midwife
- Doctor
- Community services worker
- DSWD community services officer
- DSWD protection officer
- Police
- Lawyer
- Social worker
- Prosecutor
- Seat the service providers in a circle with the 12 chairs. Ask the remainder of participants to stand on the outside of the circle so they can easily see the activity.
- Explain that the ball of yarn represents a 20-year-old woman who was sexually assaulted. Confirm with participants that everyone understands the definition of sexual assault.
- As the facilitator, stand outside the circle and give the ball to the Mother. Explain that the woman has told her mother about the incident.
- Instruct Mother to hold the end of the string firmly.
- Tell the story below, of what happens to this woman. Each time an actor is involved, the ball of string is tossed across the circle to that actor. Each actor who receives the ball will wrap it around a finger and then toss the ball to the next actor as instructed.
- Stop the game when the script is completed.
- At the end of the game, there will be a large web in the center of the circle, with each actor holding parts of the string.
A 20-year-old woman was sexually assaulted by a man just outside an evacuation center, and she tells her mother:
- Mother takes the woman to Community Leader in order to report what has happened.
- Community Leader refers the woman to the TBA because the leader is concerned about the medical condition of the daughter.
- The TBA helps, but the woman needs immediate medical care for injuries. The TBA asks the woman to go see her close colleague—the Midwife.
- The Midwife realizes that the woman should be seen by a doctor, so she immediately contacts the Doctor.
- The Doctor provides treatment for injuries and a general check-up, and sends the woman back to Midwife hoping that the Midwife might provide some extra support.
- The Midwife knows the woman needs psychosocial care and wonders if there were other medical treatments that perhaps the woman should receive (she has heard about preventing HIV following sexual violence). She refers the woman to the Community Services Worker.
- The Community Services Worker promises the Midwife and the Mother to help, and to make sure that the woman receives all the services that she should. The service worker provides emotional support and refers the woman to the DSWD Community Services Officer for an assessment, and asks about other programs or services that the woman should access.
- The DSWD Community Services Officer talks with the woman and discovers the woman wants to involve the police. Knowing this is time sensitive, the woman is immediately referred to the DSWD Protection Officer.
- The DSWD Protection Officer meets the woman and takes her report. However, a medical report is needed for the report, and so the woman is referred back to the Doctor.
- The Doctor completes the medical documentation and sends the woman back to the DSWD Protection Officer.
- The DSWD Protection Officer sends the woman to the Police with the medical file.
- The Police take a full report of the incident. However, in order to protect the woman once the report is filed, they refer her to a Lawyer to ensure that she is represented.
- The Lawyer would like to discuss the case with the Prosecutor, so he/she contacts the Prosecutor to speak with the survivor.
- The Prosecutor calls the Doctor about the survivor to get information about the medical exam. The Doctor asks to see the survivor again because she forgot to collect a needed sample during the exam.
- The Doctor refers the survivor to a Social Worker for psychosocial support.
- The Social Worker meets routinely with the woman, and sends her back to the Doctor for a check-up, and then to the DSWD Protection Officer to make sure that the case is progressing.
- The woman then goes to talk with the Community Leader, whom she first saw, because she is confused about the process.
- The Community Leader contacts the Prosecutor to find out the status of the case.
- The Prosecutor suggests that they contact the Police for a clear update.
- The Police refer the Community Leader to the DSWD Protection Officer.
Pause to look at the web and ask some questions to generate discussion:
- What do you see in the middle of this circle?
- Was all of this helpful for the survivor? Traumatic?
- Observers: How many times did the girl have to repeat her story?
- Might a situation like this happen in your setting?
- What could have been done to avoid making this web of string?
- What is the responsibility of your sector compared to protection specialists?
- Providing Psychological First Aid
- Informing the Survivor of Services Available
- Accompanying survivors to case manager or to services if requested
- Confirm with protection actors whether non-specialized sectors are ever responsible for referring survivor to services if case manager is unavailable and survivor has disclosed his/her experience. This guidance should pertain to the context and be confirmed by protection actors.
- It is NEVER appropriate for non-specialized actors to ask for more details in case of an incident
- All humanitarian actors are responsible for mapping of services
- Key messages to highlight in the discussion:
- This activity provides an example of the challenges a survivor of GBV often experiences, reliving the traumatic event more than once due to unorganized response
- It is critical to efficiently coordinate and communicate with other clusters and actors in order to protect the wellbeing of survivors.
- All humanitarian staff are responsible for being aware of and reinforcing a functional referral mechanism in which survivors care and support can be streamlined in accordance with survivor-centred practices.