Traumatic memory: Implications for police practice in cases of sexual crime

Principal Practitioner Narelle Goodland1

1Victoria Police, Australia

Trauma is a normal human response to abnormal events. Trauma undermines evidence gathering and can be hard to detect when working with victims.  A trauma-informed approach to policing will assist you to; understand and explain a victims counterintuitive behaviour, understand the impact trauma has on a victims memory and identify signs of trauma when responding to a victim during police contact allowing you to change your approach.


Biography:

Narelle has twenty years experience in the child protection field. Her Principal practitioner role includes policy development in the child safety and sexual exploitation area, and working with specialist units on investigation and disruption of child sexual exploitation. She also trains specialist sexual crime investigators in understanding trauma, traumatic memory, and interviewing child complainants.