Trauma Informed Practice

IfJ is committed to the development of knowledge and understanding of Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) in the Justice System. It is vital that intermediaries, social workers, barristers, solicitors, appropriate adults, judges and others understand that a reaction to a traumatic event is a physiological adaptive response to threat. This response can shut down the higher cognitive functions of the brain and careful informed handling is required for a person to be able to describe what has happened to them.

This section of our resource centre will be of interest to professionals in the justice system and members of the public, as the flow of knowledge around TIP spreads between disciplines.

People, not just books: An Investigation into the Knowledge and Understanding of Trauma Informed Practice in The Justice System, (2023)

Trauma Informed Practice (T.I.P) is a working model reliant on understanding and responding to the notion that traumatised people need to work within their 'window of tolerance' by enabling them to feel safe, supported, and empowered. It is currently accepted as good practice and used as a model by many organisations. It requires a level of awareness to understand that the effect of trauma is both a psychological and physiological response not under conscious control, often misunderstood and misinterpreted in the Justice System (JS).