Manual for Training Police on Anti Human Trafficking

Facilitating Change
Activity
1) Ask the participants to be ready with their pens/pencils and a plain piece of paper.
2) Tell them that you will be reading out the instructions about drawing the figure that is in your
hand.
3) All they have to do is to listen carefully and draw
according to what they hear.
4) You can draw any multi sided figure with straight
lines. The figure on the right is done as a sample.
5) Now face the participants and read out the
instructions like ‘draw a straight line. Now draw a
line going down from its end. Draw another line to
the left from this point. Now take the line up and
turn it to the right….about an inch…..etc.
6) You can make this exercise more interesting by asking
the participants to sit in a circle or an elliptical
<strong>for</strong>mation because then there is utter confusion
among them about right and left!
7) Now ask each participant to share his/her drawing
with the group.
Note to the facilitator
You will be amazed to see the different designs that you get!
Share with the participants how every one’s picture of the spoken words was different largely
based on how they interpreted what was being said. Link this with how our own prejudices,
stereotypes and attitudes can colour our behaviour in the case of a trafficked victim because we
also tend to interpret their experiences in the light of our own perceptions and prejudices.
Stress why this should be changed. How they, as a law en<strong>for</strong>cing person need to make their
communication with the victim sensitive.
d) Self control in communication
It is very important to stress on ‘restraint’ as not just a desired virtue but also a ‘must’ when dealing with
victims of trafficking, among your participants. Communicate to them that there can be instances
where survivors get abusive and extremely violent with you owing to their past experiences and in some
cases, drug dependence/withdrawal. You must be patient and exercise absolute self control (by not
losing your temper).
You must show total understanding of the situation of the survivor and sensitively approach the
investigation procedures. Any urge to retaliate or get abusive must be checked at all times. As the first
person that comes in contact with the survivor of trafficking in the post rescue stage, it is extremely
important that your self-restraint is exercised since this stage represents the first step towards restoring
their sense of security.
You might have noticed some other officers having personal prejudices given the nature of socialization
of the investigating officers, leading them to <strong>for</strong>m opinions/have notions about the trafficked persons.
In such cases, pre-determined ideas and notions must be shed and discarded be<strong>for</strong>e interacting with a
survivor of trafficking.
That restraint in communication needs careful cultivating can be illustrated through the following
exercise that you may want to do with your participants:
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