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It is most difficult to identify people who have been in danger , have been shamed or humiliated , or who have experienced severe pain . Examples include : survivors of torture , survivors of other forms of violence ( including rape and sexual violence ), and survivors of human trafficking , genital mutilation and forced marriage .
In some cases , sexual orientation can be considered a category of vulnerability : it can be both easy and difficult to identify .
KEY TO KNOW
It is important to establish routine processes to identify people who are particularly vulnerable and need support . A thorough but sensitive case review at the survivor ’ s initial reception site is a point of departure . It is important to train staff to observe and evaluate survivors ’ needs appropriately . Referral to a doctor or psychiatrist , or other professionals , perhaps supplemented by a diagnostic interview , makes available a further layer of support .
The idea here is not to screen all asylum-seekers to identify survivors of torture and sexual violence , but to create a space in which survivors can talk safely and explore their need for assessment , documentation , or support . To do this work , helpers need certain skills , and need to know where they can obtain more specialised help if it is needed .
2.9 LGBTQI + and people in particularly vulnerable situations
Aim . To highlight that some groups of people are particularly vulnerable .
In almost all societies , people who are LGBTQI + are significantly more likely to experience violence or abuse ; and their security – and that of other groups at risk – deteriorates in armed conflicts . 56 The UN has recognised that violence against LGBTQI + individuals during conflicts is a form of gender-based violence ( GBV ) 57 that targets people who have non-dominant gender norms and is often motivated by homophobic and transphobic attitudes .
All rights are less protected in humanitarian crises . However , many people who are LGBTQI + already live unobtrusively or take special precautions to avoid persecution : they become even more vulnerable in chaotic environments in which law and order have collapsed . They are often forced to hide or leave their homes when armed groups threaten them with “ corrective violence ” or “ population cleansing ”. Most refugees who are LGBTQI + keep their identities secret .
“ All rights are less protected in humanitarian crises . However , many people who are LGBTQI + already live unobtrusively or take special precautions to avoid persecution : they become even more vulnerable in chaotic environments in which law and order have collapsed .”
It is important to point out once again that every person experiences the same physiological reactions when they are threatened by a traumatic event . Gender identity does not change this . But cultural norms can amplify trauma and trauma reactions , and many societies are intolerant of minority sexual identities . Managing trauma reactions becomes much more difficult for a survivor if those around him condemn his sexual identity , or he is himself confused by or rejects his sexual orientation .