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 all professions i.e 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.

The resource centre is a continually developing area of the website which will be of interest to professionals in the justice system and members of the public.

The resources collected on this page all relate to how traumatic experiences can affect people. They might be of interest to friends and family or other professionals in the justice system.

These two films were made by Sussex Police in conjunction with  IfJ.

The aim is to give all those working with abuse and other traumatic events, an understanding of the physiological adaptive response to threat. The films cover areas such a defence mechanisms, body/ brain/somatic responses and some basic strategies for copying. 

 Trauma Informed Practice: Catherine O’Neill. 

Trauma Informed Practice is an approach that recognises that many problems, conditions and disorders are trauma-related. It relies on us having an awareness of the signs and symptoms of trauma and adopting an approach that aims to avoid re-traumatizing the vulnerable person during the investigation. 

NHS Lanarkshire EVA Services - Trauma and the Brain: Understanding abuse survivors responses. This animation is for any professional working with a service user when GBV is a feature in the case.