It is also important who reports the information.
Information about rapes that took place during the war in Ukraine, which is distributed on the Internet is not always reliable, but responding to it distracts from real cases. Natalia Pashko, a psychologist and coordinator of work with children and adolescents at the Institute of Health Psychology, told ZN.UA Society Editor Zali.UA. should be rechecked. It is also important who reports it. Even from the standpoint of organizing assistance, coverage of such cases, their number and those who can do it.
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The psychology of the military has its own specifics. When war breaks out, they must be mobilized as much as possible, focused on action and reactivity. After a month of war, the psyche more or less adapts. But the tension associated with such activation and constant contact with death requires relief. To this is added the absence of sexual intercourse for a long time. Therefore, the military can commit this category of crimes in order to gain more power, control, abuse those who are weaker. It very much depends on the level of personal development, the ability to control their reactions, the training of the military. Unpreparedness for military activity, low level of intellectual development, alcohol consumption are often the cause of excessive violence, when the military break into homes and rape everyone in a row – adults, young and old, can rape parents in front of children. Injuring, killing, treating others cruelly. This is exactly what we see in the actions of the occupiers. Increased levels of cruelty and the mass nature of such actions against certain people in order to gain advantage, power and control. Because sexual violence is a violation of physical and psychological boundaries, increased feelings of helplessness, abuse of others, objectification. This is a manifestation of the genocide of the Ukrainian people.
It is important to understand that the specifics of committing violence in wartime are very often reactivity, with damage, a very high level of cruelty. Therefore, any action against the victim of such violence must be coordinated, aimed at his return, to understand what will happen. It is very important not to impose help, but to do everything possible for the person to apply for it. Give her information and the opportunity to get involved in the work, not just “do good”. It is a return to a person of power and control that a traumatic experience could take away from him.
The psychologist should review the information about the request and consent to work, coordinate their actions with other employees who can provide assistance to the victim (doctors or investigators who can carry out the process of investigation and recording of evidence).
An important aspect is the testimony of the crime and the victim's awareness of where he or she can go and report the rape. Evidence of military rape is also an important aspect of the recovery process. It removes the stamp of guilt, allows to identify what happened as a crime: it is not my fault that I went outside, did not close the door, did not save myself …
Therapy is possible only in stable conditions, when the person is safe. For example, she was taken abroad and it is known that she will be there for at least three months without changing her place of residence.
For children, the sequence is the same. Focus – on interaction with parents and the child. And in peacetime, the child is hurt not so much by the experience itself as by the reaction to the event or its absence. Again, a child's testimony about this category of crime is a restoration of his or her understanding: he or she is not guilty of what happened to him or her, it is a violation, and there is a reaction to it. The offender may not be punished. But it is important when there is a reaction to this.
If one of the psychologists has received information about a war crime, it is important to understand that it should not remain at the level of a small private community. There is a certain procedure and algorithm for responding to this.
And again: it's important to double-check the information. What is spread on social networks should be questioned. Case information should not appear there. The response must be very structured, retested. If it is information about children, it is necessary to inform the children's services so that other responders can get involved. If we are talking about adults, it can be statistics from the subjects of the response, from the police, from those who do it.
For more information on how to properly provide assistance to victims of violence, read the article by Alla Kotlyar < strong>“Raped by Russians. How to help and not “do good”? »
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