To highlight the psychological effects of trauma on victims of human trafficking exploited in the sex industry and provide an interviewing technique designed to assist victims break down the barriers that locks them into a life of sexual slavery.
John O’Reilly
About the author's background
John O’Reilly was an Irish Police Inspector with thirty years experience investigating serious crimes. His investigative experience involved sexual abuse of children and adults, investigation of murders, terrorism, and other serious crime. He holds a diploma in ‘Child Psychology’ a diploma in ‘Forensic Psychology’, a degree in ‘Police Management’, a Master in Science in ‘Child Protection and Welfare’ and a practitioner’s diploma in ‘Clinical and Therapeutic Hypnosis’ and he is a qualified trainer.
In February 2002, he was seconded from An Garda Síochána (the Irish Police force) to the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During this mission he was assigned to a Special Trafficking Operations Project (S.T.O.P.) in Sarajevo. During this time he worked as the United Nation’s police coordinator in the project. The S.T.O.P. unit comprised of 55 International Police officers and 150 local Police investigators, who were based throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Together they investigated and closed a large number of premises involved in human trafficking throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. They conducted 2,315 interviews with suspected trafficked victims and freed 265 women from sexual slavery. With the assistance of the International Organisation of Migration (I.O.M.) these victims were repatriated to their home countries.
Available Services
Human Trafficking Victim Behaviour and Identification Consultancy provides a wide range of meaningful services, supports and good practice guides in interviewing victims of human trafficking exploited in the sex industry.
| Including |
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Training in understanding the behaviour and identification of human trafficking |
Speaking at information seminars |
Training for Judiciary, barristers and solicitors |
Training week / days – (half or full) |
Training on the different modules involved in interviewing and developing meaningful communication with victims of human trafficking exploited in the sex industry |
Training
Understanding what human trafficking is while explaining the multiple terms and meanings associated with each. Explaining human trafficking in a global context and the difficulties in quantifying the size of the problem Outlining and explaining the abusive trauma suffered by victims. Reporting on the findings of research into the behaviour of adult and child victims of human trafficking exploited in the sex industry.
| Themes |
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Explaining how the psychological effects of trauma changes victims behaviour |
Examining existing disorders that are recognised to change victims behaviour such as the Stockholm syndrome, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Trauma bonding Cognitive Dissonance, and Dissociation |
Explaining the effects of victims entering a State of Survival, developing a distorted view of their world, and forming an illogical relationship with their trafficker |
Explaining the effects of emotions associated with victim’s trauma that lock them into sexual slavery. Emotions such as fear, guilt, shame, embarrassment, anxiety, and depression |
Introduction to perception and how important a correct perception is when trying to detect or assist victims of human trafficking |
Training in how to establish meaningful communication with victims |
Training for interviewers in relations to the initial approach, building trust, empathy, sensitivity while attempting to build rapport with victims |
Training in interview techniques require to assist victims break down the barriers to the silence |
Training in the new developed interview technique that has proved successful in assisting victims to dissolve their distorted view of their world and break their silence |
Training for working with other stakeholders in the fight against human trafficking |