Haruv institute - Leading Principles in Trauma-Informed Child Representation

The current document was created as part of an in-depth training on “trauma-informed child representation,” the result of the cooperation between the CRU and the Haruv Institute. It is intended to serve as a practical work tool for lawyers representing children on behalf of the CRU in all legal proceedings.

Key principles

1. Building trust • Establishing a relationship: Establishing a relationship between the child and their lawyer, which is based on trust, is a complex process for children who have been harmed by adults. We, therefore, expect to see the child reacting to their relationship with the lawyer in a variety of manners. All responses should be recognized as appropriate within this context. The lawyer should not be alarmed by them but rather validate them during the conversation with the child. The lawyer must employ a great degree of patience during the process of establishing the relationship. – Idea for practice: Tell the child that you are here to help them. If they express hesitation/suspicion/opposition, you should validate these expressions and tell the child that you understand very well their difficulty in trusting you and that you will do everything in your power to prove to them that you deserve their trust and are here for them. • Communicating your role to the child: The child has met many adults in their short life who claimed to care for them. Some of them were the very adults who harmed the child; some were representatives of state institutions. Therefore, in trauma informed child representation, it is necessary to know that

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