For the first time in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a unique way of functioning of the SOS telephone line for victims of domestic violence and violence against women is being introduced. It will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Federal Minister of Labor and Social Policy Adnan Delić told Detektor that the Ordinance was adopted on the basis of the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence and Violence against Women in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and that it represents a key implementing act regulating the functioning of the SOS telephone line throughout the FBiH.
As he explained, the rulebook regulates in detail the standards of communication with victims, dealing with crisis situations, cooperation with the police, centers for social work, health institutions and safe houses.
“The rulebook prescribes every step, from the moment the phone rings until the end of the conversation, documenting the case and the possible involvement of other institutions if necessary,” said Delić.
The SOS telephone line will not be managed by civil servants, but by professionals from the fields of social work, psychology, pedagogy, law or other relevant social or humanistic professions. In addition to their professional qualifications, they will need to have at least one year of experience working with victims of violence, crisis intervention or psychosocial counselling.
“Before they start working, all operators must complete specialized training in working with victims of domestic violence and violence against women or prove that they have already undergone appropriate professional training. During their work, they are required to continuously improve their skills, undergo professional supervision, participate in additional training and have psychological support provided so that they can respond professionally to extremely emotionally demanding situations,” said Delić.
The regulation defines six stages that each call goes through. It begins with establishing contact and explaining the purpose of the SOS phone, where an atmosphere of trust is created.
“The victim is not obliged to reveal their identity, they can remain anonymous unless there is an immediate threat to their life or safety that requires collecting certain information for urgent intervention,” Delić said.
The second phase is the conversation and assessment of the situation. The operator listens carefully, asks questions to understand what happened, assesses whether it is physical, psychological, sexual or economic violence, assesses the level of risk and determines whether there is an immediate danger to the victim or children.
The third phase is providing emotional support, while in the fourth phase the victim receives information about the work of the police, social work centers, safe houses, health institutions, free legal aid and other services that can help her. If the victim wishes, the operator can, with her express consent, establish contact with the competent institution or safe house on her behalf.
The fifth phase is closing the conversation. The operator goes through all the agreed steps with the user, checks whether the information is clear to her. He encourages her and reminds her that she can use the number 1265 again, whenever she feels the need to. In the sixth stage, the operator records the call, the risk assessment, the information provided and the possible involvement of other institutions. In doing so, care is taken not to collect data that is not necessary and to protect the user’s privacy as much as possible.
“If during any phase of the conversation the operator assesses that there is an immediate danger to the life or health of the victim or another person, crisis protocols are activated and the police, the center for social work, the health service or other competent authorities are immediately involved, in accordance with the law and prescribed procedures,” said Delić.
He said that the goal is not only to increase the number of reports, but also to increase trust in the institutions and that the victim (at the moment he decides to seek help) knows that he will not be alone. When there is trust in the system, people report violence earlier, get out of the violent environment earlier and come to protection earlier.
“This is precisely where we see the greatest value of the SOS telephone line. It is not a substitute for the police, the judiciary or the centers for social work, but the place where the coordinated protection of the victim begins and their safe inclusion in the support system,” said Delić, as reported by the Balkan Research Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIRN BiH).
