Training Programmes offered by
The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation

The CSVR offers a host of training programmes, which provide insight into the causes and consequences of violent crime and provide participants with skills and information on how to respond to these problems. The training curricula described below are appropriate for a range of criminal justice officials and we will tailor the course content to meet the needs of the trainees. The length of the training courses will vary according to the particular needs of participants.

1. Violence Against Women and the Law

Overall Objective

The overall outcome of this course is to assist participants to develop empowering responses when managing women who experience domestic violence, by providing course participants with information on violence against women and current legislation.

Course Outcomes

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

• Identify the different forms of violence against women
• Describe the factors contributing to violence against women
• Describe the impact of violence on women's health
• Describe the effects of violence on women
• Describe the links between violence against women and HIV infection
• Describe their role in dealing with women survivors of violence
• Identify the characteristics they should display when interacting with women who experience violence
• Be able to refer women to appropriate services.

Participants

Appropriate participants in this training course would include:

• Police officials or law enforcement officials (including traffic officers and others) who may receive calls for assistance from victims of domestic violence
• Prosecutors, magistrates and judges.
• Staff of call centres and radio rooms
• Clinic staff, hospital staff and other health workers
• Housing personnel who deal with requests for housing from victims of domestic violence
• Emergency Services personnel.

2. Dealing with Rape and Sexual Offences

Overall Objective

The overall outcome of this course is to assist participants to develop empowering responses when managing survivors of sexual offences and thus reduce the secondary victimisation that victims might experience within the criminal justice system.

Course outcomes

By the end of this course participants will be able to:

• Analyse perceptions around sexuality and sexual offences
• Analyse myths surrounding sexual offences
• Contrast these myths with facts about sexual violence, victims and perpetrators
• Define sexual offences
• Analyse victim experiences of violence and within the criminal justice system
• Understand the symptoms of trauma and rape trauma syndrome
• Describe secondary victimisation associated with rape, and the complex causes that give rise to it
• Describe the links between HIV infection and violence against women
• List the characteristics that they should display when dealing with a sexual offence survivor
• Generate ideas to prevent secondary victimisation in their work and ways in which they can play an active and constructive role to counteract it when dealing with rape and sexual offence cases.

Participants

Appropriate participants in this training course would include:

• Police officials or other law enforcement officials including traffic officers and others who may receive calls for assistance from victims of sexual offences
• Prosecutors, magistrates and judges
• Staff of call centres and radio rooms
• Clinic and hospital staff and other health workers
• Emergency Services personnel.

3. Basic Trauma Awareness and Victim Empowerment

Overall Objective

The overall outcome of this course is to assist participants to develop empowering responses when dealing with victims of violence and trauma (including interpersonal violence, traffic accidents, and large-scale emergencies) and thus reduce the secondary victimisation that those victims might experience later in the health and/or criminal justice systems.

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

• Describe trauma
• Identify the symptoms of traumatic stress reactions
• Know and respect victims' rights
• Refer clients to appropriate services in the city
• Offer effective support in the city's initial response to victims of trauma
• Integrate their knowledge of trauma support and victim empowerment into their daily work as frontline city officials dealing with crime and violence.

Participants

Appropriate participants in this training course would include:

• Police officials or law enforcement officials who may interface with victims of violence and trauma
• Prosecutors, magistrates and judges
• Staff of call centres and radio rooms
• Clinic staff, health workers and social workers
• Emergency Services personnel.

4. Basic Trauma Awareness and Self-Care

Overall Objective

The overall aim of this course is to assist people who deal regularly with trauma (such as violence and motor vehicle accidents) to be aware of the consequences of trauma (traumatic stress reactions) for the victims and for themselves as service providers; and enable them to take steps to reduce levels of such stress in their workplaces and their lives.

Course Outcomes

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

• Describe trauma and different responses to trauma
• Identify the symptoms of traumatic stress reactions
• Monitor themselves for symptoms of traumatic stress reactions
• Monitor their colleagues for symptoms of stress
• Improve coping skills and self care for themselves and others
• Refer colleagues or clients to appropriate services for dealing with stress.

Participants

Appropriate participants in this training course would include:

• Police officials or traffic and law enforcement officials who may interface with victims of violence and trauma
• Prosecutors, magistrates and judges
• Clinic staff, health workers and social workers
• Staff of call centres and radio rooms
• Emergency Services personnel.

5. Crime prevention for local government (municipal) officials

Overall Objective

The overall objective of this course is to develop an understanding of crime prevention among municipal officials whose work impacts on public safety, and thus to build the capacity of the municipalities to engage in strategic thinking about crime prevention.

Course Outcomes

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

• Define crime prevention and social crime prevention
• Describe the relationship between crime prevention and law enforcement
• Explain the role of the metro in crime prevention, in terms of current government policy
• Analyse a crime or safety problem
• Design a basic crime prevention project
• Construct a multi-agency crime prevention partnership

Participants

Appropriate participants in this training course would include:

• Police officials
• Other law enforcement officials such as health, housing and building inspectors
• Town planners
• Community development workers
• Clinic staff, health workers and social workers
• Staff of city improvement districts, CCTV systems and tourist safety schemes.

6. Training on the Protection of Refugees and Non-Nationals

Overall Objective

The overall outcome of this course is to assist course participants to develop empowering responses when managing refugees and non-nationals, by providing participants with information on the rights of refugees and non-nationals, and helping them to identify deeply embedded stereotypes that inform common responses to refugees and non-citizens.

Course Outcomes

By the end of the course participants will:

• Be familiar with the laws that give refugees and non-nationals rights in the SADC region
• understand the reasons why foreigners leave their countries
• be able to analyse myths and stereotypes around refugees and other foreigners
• be able to differentiate refuges and asylum-seekers from the other groups of non-nationals
• understand how the trauma experienced by refugees might affect their behaviour towards criminal justice and government officials
• understand how police procedures can retraumatize refugees and non-nationals
• be familiar with the procedures involved in working with refugees and non-nationals
• Be able to refer refugees and non-nationals to appropriate services

Participants

Appropriate participants in this training course would include:

• Police officials
• Other law enforcement officials such as health, housing and building inspectors
• Community development workers
• Clinic staff, health workers and social workers

7. Human Rights in the Criminal Justice Process

Overall Objective

The overall outcome of this course is to assist course participants to understand the practical implications of human rights law. It is not a theoretical training, but focuses on learning new skills and ways of operating, that are congruent with human rights standards in the SADC region. The course can be tailored for police officer, prosecutors, or prison officials, or for a mixed group of all three professions.

Course Outcomes

By the end of the course participants will:

• Be familiar with the human rights instruments and standards that apply in the SADC region
• Understand the implications of human rights law for their work
• Appreciate the benefits of human rights for victims, perpetrators and officials in the criminal justice system
• Have learned new ways of conducting some aspects of their work, in accordance with human rights requirements
• Be able to explain to their colleagues, members of the public, and the media why human rights are an essential component of effective criminal justice.

Participants

Appropriate participants in this training course would include:

• Police officials
• Other law enforcement officials such as health, housing and building inspectors
• Prosecutors
• Prison officials

Costs

CSVR is a not-for-profit organisation. Our rates for providing this training are therefore extremely low compared with commercial and academic institutions. We will negotiate the costs of each training course, depending on the location, duration and number of participants. We will also work with you to access donor funding for such training programmes.

The CSVR can provide:

• Course design and preparation of training materials
• At least 2 expert trainers per course
• Master copies of training materials
• Training of trainers

We expect the recipient organisation to provide:

• Training venues
• Meals during training sessions (ie teas and lunches)
• Photocopying/ reproduction of training packages for participants
• Administrative support.