Helpful Resources
Key Guidelines
Supporting Professionals
The support for cases of hate and extremism can benefit from other related areas, in which practices have been assessed as positive.
Some examples would be:
The Barnhaus Model
This is a Scandinavian model, developed in Iceland, which functions as a child-friendly hub, aggregating law enforcement, criminal justice, child protection services, and medical professionals to work together on cases, providing integrated follow-up plans.
The model has different criteria for implementation, namely:
- Offering multidisciplinary and interagency interventions;
- Organisation under a child-friendly setting;
- Placing the child’s interest at the forefront.
Consequently, this model allows to promote child protection in cases of risk, vulnerability and victimization, easing criminal justice proceedings, which are carefully combined with health and mental health concerns.
Curiosity: Barnahaus is a Scandinavian word for children’s house.
The Barnauhs is formally embedded into national systems as a key element to justice and children welfare.
How to use these insights to improve the support for victims of hate and extremism?
Development of cooperation protocols and hubs
The goal is to ease the process for victims – combining criminal justice professionals, with health and victim support professionals:
Mitigate secondary victimisation
Ease information sharing
Comprehensive follow-up procedures
Diagnostic tool
Assessing National Hate Crime Victim Support Organisations
Developed as part of the EStAR project, this is a practical tool for assessing both barriers and strengths in national hate crime support structures and accompanying services.
Scope
→ Individual use: This tool can be used by individual practitioners to self-assess their own support systems.
→ Group use: The tool can be used for group assessment, being recommended to have a cross-sectoral representation.
Methodology
→ Practical and participatory methodology, following 6 major axis:
- Legal and policy frameworks
- Support systems and structures
- Specialist services
- Assessing needs and referrals
- Sensitive and respectful treatment
- Role in criminal proceedings and the justice system
→ The tool provides several questions.
Best Practices
Communication Principles
The way victims are approached by official institutions can make a significant difference in their path, promoting healing, or, alternatively, promoting re-traumatisation.
Be mindful of the voicetone, bodylanguage and type of language used.
Choose words carefully, avoiding any discriminatory or abusive language, which includes sland and jokes.
Always ask the person who they wish to be addressed in terms of gender.
Use inclusive language.
Be accessible in the language used to communicate and respond to any questions.
Mobilise active listening skills and facilitate the victims' narrative.