Child sensitive communication and trauma-informed approaches to child interviewing

In June 2019, UNODC launched the Roadmap on the Treatment of Children Associated with Terrorist and Violent Extremist Groups which contains condensed guidance regarding three interconnected areas of work: prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration, and justice for children in the context of counterterrorism.

On 3-5 July 2023, UNODC, Regional Office for Central Asia organized a “Training seminar on child-sensitive communication and trauma-informed approaches to child interviewing” for the participants from Tajikistan who are specialized in communication and conducting interviews with children who were returned from conflict zones.

The training aimed to provide comprehensive guidance to specialists on how to deliver essential training to other colleagues to support them in their professional functions when dealing directly with child victims and in particular children who have been returned from conflict zones.

Opening the workshop, Mr. Mirzahid Sultanov, UNODC ROCA National Programme Officer stated: “When children live in areas of conflict, their lives change. They experience violence and trauma, and their bonds with society are affected. These children require that any professional or practitioners in contact with them are trained on child-sensitive communication and trauma-informed approaches, to prevent secondary victimization and re-victimization.”

Mr. Abdugaffor Kamolov, Adviser, Department for the Middle East and African countries of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan - a member of the interdepartmental working group on the issues of returning women and children from conflict zones, mentioned: “Effective measures to address the problems associated with the involvement of children in terrorist groups, including those associated with the phenomenon of FTFs (Foreign Terrorist Fighters), is a very complex, global task. Tajikistan carried out the first operation to return its citizens at the end of March 2019, returning 84 children from Iraq, and the second in July 2022, returning 146 women and children from Syria. This training demonstrates the need for new approaches in the rehabilitation and reintegration of children, preventing them from secondary traumas and considering the age and traumas experienced.”

The training was an opportunity for participants to (i) increase their understanding of child development, children’s rights, and the negative impact of violence on children; (ii) be able to apply practical guidance on how to engage with children and build trust through child-, gender- and victim-sensitive communication; (iii) increase understanding on importance of taking trauma into account when interviewing children who were traumatized; (iv) be able to refer to the international legal framework and best practices related to child-sensitive communication and trauma-informed approaches; (v) be able to improve professional-child relationships by establishing positive communication; (vi) be able to apply practical guidance on how to interview children who have experienced trauma; and (vii) become acquainted with the phenomenon and notions of rehabilitation and reintegration of children who were returned from conflict zones.

The training was conducted within in the framework of the “EU-UN Support to States in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) for Third Country Nationals returned from Syria and Iraq – Security and Accountability Action”.