treatment for example, or referrals to assistance for longer-term needs, such as relating to health problems, support to cope with post-traumatic stress, reintegration into the community or education system, and to secure places to recover. • Referral services for minors should: o Be specific to the age and gender of the minor; o Provide access to child- and adolescent-friendly spaces; and o Provide access to community-based minor-protection systems, including child/minor protection committees. • Consider whether minors are at risk from reduced or absent social support, including the risk of becoming isolated from their family, and whether they may experience social stigma. • Prioritize their interests always, including, for example, by establishing clear practices on sharing confidential information. • Support parents and care givers, informing them of services available to help both the minor it concerns as well as their family. 23 2.1.5 Recognizing and Preventing the Risk of Re-Traumatization It is important to recognize the risks to and prevent re-traumatization. In order to do so, unofficial investigators should: • Be familiar with the signs of trauma. • Be careful not to assume that the victim or witness is evasive or otherwise malignantly distorting the truth. • Focus on the narrative and elements of the crime instead of the timeline of events. For example, ask “What else happened?” instead of “What happened next?” The timeline of events can be the focus of later interviews. • Use a conversational approach rather than a rapid series of questions. • Ask open-ended questions rather than yes or no or leading questions. • Make sure the victim or witness has some control over the situation (for example, over deciding when to take breaks, water, seating). 23 Foreign and Commonwealth Office, International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict, 50 (2014). 32