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SURVIVORS AS VOLUNTEERS FOR CoSA: APPLYING THE RESEARCH FINDINGS TO PRACTICE

NOTA CONFERENCE 2017

DR NADIA WAGER

READER IN FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD

[email protected]

AND

CHRIS WILSON

ESRC PHD RESEARCHER

[email protected] Property of NOTA 2017

WARM UP EXERCISE

POST IT NOTES….

WHEN IS AN OFFENDER NO LONGER AN OFFENDER?

WHAT MAKES THEM AN EX-OFFENDER?

WHEN MIGHT THEY NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED AN OFFENDER?

WHEN MIGHT WE EVEN DECIDE THAT WE SHOULD EVEN DROP THE LABEL ‘EX OFFENDER’?

HOW HELPFUL IS IT TO THE INDIVIDUAL OR SOCIETY FOR THE LABEL ‘OFFENDER’ TO BECOME THE INDIVIDUAL’S MASTER STATUS?

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OVERVIEW

•  SETTING THE CONTEXT

•  THE EXTENT OF SEXUAL VICTIMISATION IN THE POPULATION AND THE POSSIBLE NUMBER OF SURVIVORS VOLUNTEERING WITH COSA

•  THE STUDY

•  THEMES

•  VOLUNTEERS WITHOUT PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF SEXUAL VICTIMISATION.

•  FACILITATORS EXPERIENCES AND THOUGHTS ON ‘ASKING THE QUESTION’

•  SURVIVORS

•  THEMES IN RELATION TO PRACTICAL ISSUES


The Three Key Principles Theoretical Framework

Support Monitor Maintain

Reduce Isolation and Emotional Loneliness

Public Protection Hold Offender Accountable

Model Appropriate Relationships

Support Statutory Authorities- Police, Probation, MAPPA

Relationship of Trust

Demonstrate Humanity and Care Safer Communities

Maintain Treatment Objectives

Reduce Re-offending

Saunders & Wilson 2003 Property of NOTA 2017

Circles of Support and Accountability

A Restorative Project

Restora(ve Jus(ce Repair

Stakeholder Par8cipa8on

Transforma8on

Restora(ve Process Truth Telling Valida8on Repara8on Conferencing



A BREAKDOWN OF VOLUNTEERS WORKING IN THAMES VALLEY COSA IN 2005



THE EXTENT OF SEXUAL VICTIMISATION

•  WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THE TERM SEXUAL VICTIMISATION?

•  HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE (OR WILL) EXPERIENCE SEXUAL VICTIMISATION?

•  WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE IMPACTS ON VICTIMS?

•  WHAT PROPORTION OF VICTIMS EXPERIENCE LONG-TERM EFFECTS?



VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SEXUAL VICTIMISATION



THE STUDY •  TWO PARTS:

•  ON-LINE SURVEY OF 9 COSA COORDINATORS:

•  AIM – TO EXPLORE ‘CURRENT’ PRACTICE IN RELATION TO ASKING VOLUNTEERS ABOUT THEIR SURVIVOR STATUS

•  INTERVIEWS WITH 13 COSA VOLUNTEERS (INCLUDED 5 SURVIVORS)

•  AIMS:

•  TO EXPLORE THE MOTIVATIONS FOR AND EXPERIENCES OF SUPPORTING A CORE MEMBER FOR VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED SEXUAL VICTIMISATION AND TO CONTRAST THIS WITH VOLUNTEERS WITHOUT SUCH EXPERIENCES

•  TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER VOLUNTEERING FOR CIRCLES SERVES AS A RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROCESS FOR SURVIVORS, AND IF SO, IN WHAT WAYS.

•  TO INVESTIGATE THE CIRCLE EXPERIENCES AND CONCERNS OF VOLUNTEERS WHO DO NOT HAVE FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE OF SEXUAL VICTIMISATION WHEN A SURVIVOR-VOLUNTEER IS (OR IS LIKELY TO BE) A MEMBER OF THEIR CIRCLE.

•  TO IDENTIFY ISSUES THAT MIGHT BE PERTINENT TO THE TRAINING AND SUPPORT OF VOLUNTEERS AND FOR THE EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF A CIRCLE AND TO MAXIMISE THE RESTORATIVE JUSTICE POTENTIAL FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS.


SURVIVOR THEMES

Survivors Not defined

by victimisation

Strong enough

Motivation for

volunteering Strategies for self

preservation

Disclosure experiences


COORDINATORS’ PERSPECTIVE OF ENCOURAGING DISCLOSURES

Asking ‘the’

question

Why might we need to

know?

Should we ask?

When to ask?

Responses to asking the question

How to ask in a sensitive

manner?


THEMES IN RELATION TO PRACTICAL ISSUES

•  RECRUITMENT OF VOLUNTEERS •  MOTIVATIONS FOR VOLUNTEERING

•  SELECTION OF VOLUNTEERS •  TENDENCY TO PATHOLOGISE SURVIVORS

•  RESILIENCE VS RECOVERY

•  IS A DISCLOSURE NECESSARY?

•  TRAINING REQUIREMENTS •  UNDERSTANDING ABOUT VICTIMISATION – CREATING A BALANCE IN EMPATHY AND RESPECT

•  PROMOTING SELF-PRESERVATION

•  SUPERVISION •  IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT BEING A SURVIVOR

•  RECOGNISING NEW AWARENESS ABOUT SURVIVOR STATUS

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

•  IS EVERYONE WHO EXPERIENCES SEXUAL ASSAULT/ABUSE A VICTIM?

•  WHEN IS A VICTIM AN EX-VICTIM?

•  AT WHAT POINT IS A VICTIM ALLOWED TO SHOW THEY ARE MORE THAN A SURVIVOR OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE?



THIS STUDY IS PUBLISHED IN,

WAGER N, WILSON C, (2017) CIRCLES OF SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABILITY: SURVIVORS AS VOLUNTEERS AND THE RESTORATIVE POTENTIAL. IN E ZINSSTAG

& M KEENAN (EDS) RESTORATIVE RESPONSES TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE. LEGAL, SOCIAL AND THERAPEUTIC DIMENSIONS. PART II: JUSTICE AND THERAPEUTIC

PERSPECTIVES CHAPTER 13. ROUTLEDGE



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