Unit rationale, description and aim

Social workers make significant contributions in responding to domestic and family violence within diverse social work practice context. Students will gain knowledge and learn to apply contemporary theory and skills that inform current understandings of domestic and family violence and the impact that it has across individuals, groups and on the broader community. Students will critically examine the dynamics of domestic and family violence and its relationship to power and control. Informed by current policy and legislation relevant to this field of practice students will develop an understanding of the role and obligations of social workers. Throughout the unit students will critically reflect on their personal views and values related to domestic and family violence and the influence of this on their practice. The overall aim of this unit is to provide essential knowledge and skills in assessment, prevention and intervention in diverse social work contexts.

2026 10

Campus offering

No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.

Prerequisites

SWTP333 Social Work Field Education 1

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Analyse the social, legal, policy and service deli...

Learning Outcome 01

Analyse the social, legal, policy and service delivery contexts for social work practice in domestic and family violence.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC9, GC11, GC12

Identify and critically evaluate the power dynamic...

Learning Outcome 02

Identify and critically evaluate the power dynamics of domestic and family violence, relevant social work theories, approaches and frameworks. Critically reflect on personal values and assumptions about domestic and family violence and their impact on practice
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC9, GC11, GC12

Demonstrate skills in assessment, critical thinkin...

Learning Outcome 03

Demonstrate skills in assessment, critical thinking, judegement, communication and a range of prevention and intervention strategies used to address domestic and family violence
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC7, GC11, GC12

Formulate an inclusive, client-centred practice fr...

Learning Outcome 04

Formulate an inclusive, client-centred practice framework that incorporates theories, evidence-based practice methods, assessment and advocacy skills relevant for working with domestic and family violence clients.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11, GC12

Content

Topics will include:

  • Legislative and practice framework
  • The legal system
  • Relevant legislation
  • The service system
  • Policy frameworks
  • Practice frameworks


The social, historical, political and economic context of domestic and family violence

  • Causes
  • Definitions
  • The nature and dynamics of domestic violence
  • Myths, facts and statistics


Theoretical approaches that inform social work practice in response to domestic and family violence.

  • Feminist theory
  • Social Construction
  • Post structural theory
  • Systems theory


Organisational and professional procedures, ethics and standards

  • AASW Code of Ethics
  • AASW Practice Standards
  • Ethical issues in working with domestic and family violence


Impact of domestic and family violence

  • Across the life span
  • Infants
  • Children
  • Adolescents
  • Adults
  • Older adults
  • Gender
  • Women
  • Men
  • lived experience or expert content as applicable
  • Interest groups, which can include but are not limited to
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
  • People with a disability
  • Culturally diverse peoples
  • The LGBTIQA+ community
  • Perpetrators
  • Social workers
  • Supervision and self-care


Skills in working with domestic and family violence

  • Assessment and risk assessment
  • Interventions
  • Early intervention and prevention
  • Crisis intervention
  • Trauma informed care
  • Safety planning
  • Psychoeducation
  • Therapeutic interventions
  • Principles and guidelines
  • Narrative therapy
  • Working with offenders/perpetrators
  • Evaluation

Assessment strategy and rationale

This unit takes an authentic approach to assessment that allows students to demonstrate the social work knowledge, ethics and skills required for practice in response to domestic and family violence in diverse practice contexts.

 Assessment 1 is an individual multi-media presentation which aims to assess student’s ability to identify, articulate and explain the dynamics and impact of domestic and family violence and highlight the contemporary legislative and policy context working across the life span (LO1, LO2 ).

 Assessment 2 Is a written assignment that asks students to compare and contrast two case scenarios and discuss how you might provide a theoretically and evidence informed social work response (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4)

 Assessment 3 takes the form of a case report which aims to assess the knowledge and skills required to conduct a social work assessment and initial intervention plan that draws on contemporary assessment frameworks. (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4)

 The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to enable students to demonstrate their achievement of each learning outcome. To pass this unit, students must demonstrate achievement of all learning outcomes and obtain a minimum mark of 50%.

Overview of assessments

Oral presentation This oral presentation enables...

Oral presentation

This oral presentation enables students to identify, articulate and explain the context, dynamics and impact of domestic and family violence. with reference to legislation and policy context relevant to their geographic location. 

Weighting

30%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2
Graduate Capabilities GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12

Written Comparative Analysis This assessment ena...

Written Comparative Analysis

This assessment enables students to show their understanding of the complexity of domestic and family violence through comparing and contrasting two case scenarios.

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12

Assessment report and intervention plan This ass...

Assessment report and intervention plan

This assessment enables students to apply knowledge and skills required to conduct a social work assessment and develop an initial intervention plan in response to a scenario. 

Weighting

30%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit involves 150 hours of learning delivered through blended learning that combines 36 hours of lecture material and online interactive tutorials involving group discussions, skills-based and critically reflective activities supported by prescribed readings and resources, and independent study. The lectures will outline the key concepts and theoretical perspectives central to the weekly topics related to domestic and family violence, while the tutorial activities will afford students the opportunity to explore the concepts and related debates more deeply and develop key skills required for competent ethical social work practice. Active participation in the activities and discussion is an essential part of learning in this unit. The focus is on integration of skills and knowledge. Engagement with academic literature will assist students to recognise, assess and respond to domestic and family violence using an ethical social work approach.

Students are expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively in class discussions and the skill-based and critically reflective activities to achieve the learning outcomes. The learning strategies will prepare students to develop the fundamental skills and knowledge for ethical social work practice in the field of domestic and family violence.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Barlow, C. & Walklate, S. (2022). Coercive control. Routledge.

Hill, J. (2019). See what you made me do: Power, control and domestic violence. Black Inc.

Healey, J. (Ed.). (2017). Violence against women. The Spinney Press.

Katz, E. (2022). Coercive Control in Children’s and Mothers’ Lives (First Edition). Oxford University Press.

Laing, L., Humphreys, C., & Cavanagh, K. (2013). Social work & domestic violence: Developing critical & reflective practice. SAGE Publications Ltd.

McClennen, J. C., Keys, A. M., & Dugan-Day, M. L. (2017). Social work and family violence: Theories, assessment, and intervention (Second edition.). Springer Publishing Company.

Meyer, S., & Frost, A. (2019). Domestic and family violence: A critical introduction to knowledge and practice (1st ed.). Routledge.

Seymour, K., Wendt, S., Natalier, K. (2023). Responding to domestic violence: Difficult conversations. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.

Stark, E. (2023). Coercive control: The entrapment of women in personal life (Second edition.). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197639986.001.0001

Walsh, D. (2019). Working with domestic violence: Contexts and frameworks for practice (1st ed.). Routledge. 

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