Reference no: EM133490083

Problem

There are many skills that a victim advocate must possess to help a victim after a crime occurs. Many times, a victim may be traumatized emotionally and physically. For example, domestic violence and or rape victims often become emotionally detached; it's not uncommon for them to not want to discuss what happened and block it out or blame themselves.

I. If such a victim were assigned to you (as a victim advocate), what kind of skills do you think that you would need to use to build a bridge of trust with that victim to facilitate honest communication?

II. Let's now look at a more specific hypothetical situation. Assume that Sally and her 10-year-old daughter, Molly, are beaten on a regular basis by her husband, John. Sally and Molly are financially dependent on John to support them. Sally is too scared to protest or to complain against his violent behavior. Furthermore, John is well liked at his corporate America CEO job, where he has a lot of connections. He has a good rapport in the community and sits on numerous boards and volunteers his time to a number of non-profit charities. However, at home and in the neighborhood, John is well known as an ill-tempered and violent man.

If you were a victim advocate, how would you help Sally and Molly? How would you communicate with them verbally and or nonverbally? How would you gain their trust? What tools or technologies would you use, and why? Are there any specific questions you would ask to gain their trust? Assuming that either or both Sally or Molly do confide in you, what do you intend to do with the information that they share?