Course 1. Assistance and Prevention

Introduction

The course is designed to address the key issue related to institutional communication techniques and the management of relations with the media and with the families involved. The various reasons for the disappearance and prevention strategies will be explored, providing a complete and integrated view of the dynamics at play.

The module is divided into two parts:

1) the first part concerns an overview of the phenomenon of disappearance and what is essential to do, who to contact to report the disappearance and the type of tools currently in force to collect and organize the available information.

2) another section concerns the basic assistance necessary for the family of the missing person from the moment of his disappearance (report) and communication with the mass media so as not to interfere with the investigation. In these terms, the issue of prevention is also addressed, i.e. in relation to useful advice to alert families and promote the prevention of disappearance within the family.

In particular, at the end of the module, the learner will be able to exercise the following competence, namely: “provide assistance to voluntary associations, schools, institutions, care and after-reception institutions in the prevention and awareness of the phenomenon of missing persons”. The module will specifically allow the learner to:

define methods and strategies to provide cognitive and information tools to improve individual resilience, strengthen family and community networks;
to develop information and counselling tools and strategies to prevent critical situations, minimise/reduce the risk of disappearance or the disappearance of a loved one;
to raise awareness in the media of the dissemination of data and information aimed at preventing the phenomenon of missing persons.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge: Has a complete and up-to-date knowledge of the types of information sources concerning the phenomenon of missing adults and children

Skills: Uses relevant and up-to-date methods of consulting information sources, databases, websites, etc., from which to draw information regarding the phenomenon of missing adults and children.

Knowledge: knows the basic steps to take when a person is suspected of missing.

Skills: acts according to best practices when a person is suspected of missing.

Knowledge: has an in-depth knowledge of the different elements of institutional communication; He has an in-depth knowledge of the different elements of communication in small groups of “borderline” people.

Skills: Uses relevant communication techniques: institutional, interpersonal, with small groups; Uses relevant techniques to select and synthesize information useful for preventing disappearances, understanding the problem and taking possible preventive actions

At the end of the training course, students will be able to deal with the complex phenomenon of missing persons, both adults and children, with competence and sensitivity. Thanks to comprehensive and up-to-date training, they will have a knowledge of the different sources of information regarding disappearances. They will be able to effectively consult and use databases, websites and other resources to collect crucial information, interpreting and integrating data from different sources to obtain a complete and accurate picture of disappearance situations.

Students will acquire a solid mastery of institutional communication, understanding the different elements necessary to interact with families, institutions, the media and small groups of people considered “borderline”. They will be able to select and synthesize relevant information to prevent disappearances and take possible preventive actions.

Through the study of the different causes of disappearance and their connections with family, social and school contexts, students will be able to prepare detailed analyses of potentially critical situations. They will be able to offer useful indications for prevention, understanding and addressing the risk factors that can lead to the disappearance of a person.

Finally, students will be able to offer support by coordinating actions that can help in the discovery and prevention of future disappearances. They will be ready to face the complex challenges related to the phenomenon of missing persons with professionalism and humanity, becoming reference figures in the field of research and prevention.

Duration

Module 1: 30 minutes

Module 2: 50 minutes

Module 3: 3 hours and 30 minutes

Requirements

From the point of view of technical skills, it is important that students are already familiar with the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). This includes the ability to navigate and use online resources, to manage digital communication platforms and to use basic software for the production and management of multimedia content.

A predisposition to teamwork and good interpersonal skills are also crucial. Students must be able to collaborate effectively with colleagues, families, and media professionals, while maintaining an empathetic approach that is respectful of different perspectives. The ability to stay calm and manage stress in emergency situations is critical, as the nature of the job can be emotionally demanding.

In addition, it is important that students have a particular sensitivity towards the issues of safety and protection of vulnerable people. They must understand the importance of privacy and confidentiality of information, especially when it comes to handling missing persons cases.

Students must possess a combination of communication, technical and interpersonal skills in order to participate effectively in the module. These skills will prepare them to face the complex challenges related to institutional communication and the management of relations with the media and families of missing persons, as well as to understand and prevent the causes of disappearance.

Suggested resources for further reading

References

Cristina Brandi, Psychologists for Peoples - Lazio.

Penelope Italia Association (2009), Suspended Lives, Penelope's Canvases, Activities 20052009.

Boss, P. (1999), Frozen grief. In P. Boss (a cura di), Ambiguous loss: learning to live with unresolved grief, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. Boss, P. (2002), Ambiguous loss in families of the missing, “The Lancet supplement”, Vol. 360, December.

The Government's Extraordinary Commissioner for Missing Persons (2009), Guidelines to promote the search for missing persons.

The Government's Extraordinary Commissioner for Missing Persons (2010), V Half-Yearly Report, June.

The Government's Extraordinary Commissioner for Missing Persons (2010), VI Half-Yearly Report, December.

James, M., Anderson, J. e Putt, J. (2008), Missing persons in Australia, “Research and public policy report no. 86”, Australian Institute of Criminology, Canberra Kahneman, D. e Tversky, A. (1972), Subjective probability: a judgment of representativeness, “Cognitive Psychology”, Vol. 3, July.

Ministry of the Interior (2010), RiSc Ricerca Scomparsi, presentation sheet of the RiSc system available on http://img.poliziadistato.it/docs/ risc_ricerca_scomparsi.pdf

Migliazza Catalano C. and Tomaciello M. (2009), Seeking Fabrizio. Story of a wait without surrender, Neos Edizioni, Turin.

Websites

www.chilhavisto.rai.it