Preventing Torture An Operational Guide for National Human Rights Institutions Other characteristics that a person who has gone through a traumatic event might display include: • constantly recalling the event • trying to avoid remembering the event • physical symptoms, such as insomnia, irritability or hyper-vigilance. All of these factors can pose challenges when conducting an interview. For example, if someone is short of sleep or has difficulty concentrating it may it hard for them to sustain an interview over an extended period of time. In this situation it might be preferable to have several short interviews. It will also be challenging to conduct an interview with a person who is trying to avoid remembering the event. In some situations, it is not a conscious decision to block the memory. It can be common for people who have gone through traumatic experiences to suffer amnesia. The interview process, while painful, may actually help someone overcome this response, although this must be handled in a sensitive and sympathetic way In some circumstances, an interviewee may also begin to re-experience the traumatic event. As an interviewer, you must be alert to this possibility. If it appears that the interviewee is reliving or awakening memories of the experience, stop the interview immediately and discuss this with the person. Interviewing victims of torture Interviewing victims of torture is an extremely delicate process. As an interviewer, you must be prepared to deal with difficult emotions and be able to empathize with the victim. Individuals should not be forced to talk about their experience if it makes them feel unconformable. Further, torture survivors may have difficulty remembering specific details and inconsistencies may arise. As mentioned above, the interview process may have the effect of reawakening traumatic memories for the person. If this occurs, it is important to stop the interview, express your concern and awareness of what the person is experiencing and clarify the confidential nature of the interview. It may be necessary to take a break from the interview to let the person recover or to come back at another time for a second interview. Interviewing victims of rape Victims of rape and other forms of sexual violence are also likely to suffer from trauma. Some psychologists call this rape trauma syndrome (RTS). RTS is usually divided into three phases: • the impact phase, where the victim is likely to experience a wide range of emotional reactions, which may be openly expressed or kept under tight control • the acute phase, where symptoms are similar to the acute phase of PTSD and include flashbacks, fear and intrusive thoughts; further, the physical consequences of rape can be very distressing, particularly the fear of HIV infection or other sexually transmitted diseases • the chronic phase, which like PTSD, will follow the acute phase if treatment is not provided. Constant reassurance can do no harm to rape victims and others affected by trauma. If they are willing to talk, invite them to discuss how their emotional reactions are linked to what they have suffered. However, ask them to tell you the details of their experience only when they are ready. People who have been raped often share similar responses to victims of torture. Low self-esteem is a common characteristic. This is partly a psychological consequence of the trauma but also frequently a reflection of social attitudes which can hold rape victims partly to blame. Therefore, when conducting an interview, it is crucial to be non-judgmental and to place no hint of blame on the person. Rape victims may not want to talk about what happened to them; do not force them. 52 | Chapter 5: Interviewing