New e-learning training on victims of terrorism
The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training has developed a new training course with the main objective of helping law enforcement officers to deal appropriately with victims of terrorism.
Comprehensive digital training, covers current topics that fit the current training needs of law enforcement officers. The target group of the trainings are law enforcement officers dealing with counter-terrorism and police psychologists. Thanks to the interestingly presented topics, users transfer the acquired knowledge and skills to their daily practice.
Undoubtedly, a terrorist attack can have a significant psychological impact on the victims of terrorist attacks, who are usually civilians, but may also be emergency responders performing their duties at the scene of the attack. The recovery of victims is strongly dependent on the response to the attack by governments, organisations (such as emergency services) and individuals (including law enforcement officers), as well as the subsequent support of victims.
The training consists of a short introduction and five thematic chapters:
- Different features of terrorist attacks and different responses required
- Psychological and psychosocial consequences of terrorism
- Primary and secondary victims and primary and secondary victimisation
- Needs and rights of victims of terrorism
- The role and tasks of law enforcement officials in relation to victims of a terrorist attack
TPCoE also pays particular attention to focusing on providing support to victims of an incident as part of neutralising the effects of a terrorist incident, as the way they are treated has a significant impact on their ability to cope with their experiences.