Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Working with Violence and Abuse

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

HWSS2248

City Campus

Postgraduate

365H Global, Urban and Social Studies

Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2024,
Sem 1 2025

Course Coordinator: Christine Craik

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 2940

Course Coordinator Email: christine.craik@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Building 8, Level 10

Course Coordinator Availability: by appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None


Course Description

An overwhelming percentage of the work done by Social workers, youth workers and other human service workers, focuses on addressing the consequences of domestic/family violence and childhood sexual abuse. This course is designed to give students an introduction to this work in domestic/family violence, sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse. Students will examine the social and political underpinnings of violence in our society and the gendered manifestations of this. Students will gain an understanding of the definitions of, and myths about, the many forms of domestic/family violence and sexual abuse, and investigate in whose interests these are maintained. Students will be introduced to current statistics, research and legal responses to this issue as well as the physical and emotional effects on survivors. Students will explore ways in which they can identify and support survivors in ways which promote perpetrator accountability for the abuse and the consequences of this abuse. 


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course will complement the RMIT capabilities you are developing in your program.


Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Explore the social and political structures that promote and contribute to the continuation of domestic/family violence and childhood sexual abuse in Australia.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of current research and statistics around domestic/family violence and childhood sexual abuse.
  3. Outline and explore a broad range of behaviours and practices which constitute domestic/family violence and childhood sexual abuse.
  4. Apply knowledge to identify survivors of domestic/family violence and childhood sexual abuse.
  5. Explain current social and feminist empowerment-based models of support and treatment that will enable them to respond to both survivors and perpetrators.
  6. Promote practice that prioritises survivor safety and perpetrator accountability. 


Overview of Learning Activities

The format of this course, will be a series of 12 online lectures, followed by a two-hour tutorial. The tutorials will be highly interactive with students working in small groups, participating in large group discussions and individual exercises to explore the issues of working with domestic/family abuse. There will be extensive use of role plays and experiential learning to encourage students to actively engage with the skills, further clarify their personal values and viewpoints and unpack the issues presented.  


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems.

Weekly readings will be available on the canvas modules, alongside resources, video clips and other relevant information.  

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal. 


Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes. 

Assessment Tasks

Assessment 1:  Definitions of domestic/family abuse. Worth 10%.
This assessment maps against CLO's 2, 3 and 4.

Assessment 2: Report on supporting a service user (case study given) to gain a FVIO. Worth 50%
This assessment maps against CLO's 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Assessment 3: Essay
Option A – Reflective essay
Option B – Theoretical essay
Worth 40%
This assessment maps against CLO's 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. 

All assessments are submitted online to the course CANVAS shell.

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more. 

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions.