Over the past decades, domestic violence has come to be serious and complicated worldwide. Its forms of violence are widespread covering physical, psychological, emotional, financial and sexual maltreatment. The extent of the problem also covers wide ranges of relationship including spousal, intimate partners, cohabiting, dating violence, child, sibling, and elder abuse. Interventions should also be multiple levels and interdisciplinary involving the legal, health and mental health, housing, public assistance, child and victim protection systems. Facing with increasingly complicated issue of domestic violence, social workers should be well-equipped with knowledge, skills and competence to identify, assess, and intervene with individuals (including victims, survivors, and perpetrators) and families where domestic violence is present or happened in the past.

 

Therefore, the focus of the course is on the methods of assessment, intervention, and prevention used to address and end the major forms of domestic violence. It will address the seriousness and extent of the problem, contributing and protective factors, consequences for the individual, the family, the community and society. Models of multi-levels, inter-systems, and interdisciplinary collaboration relating to domestic violence will also be discussed. In the meantime, students will be encouraged to (1) explore their own attitudes toward domestic violence, as well as public and professional values that may block effective interventions, and (2) understand and critically review the theories, policies, organizations, legislations and interventions which contribute to zero tolerance of the problem. 

 

This course aims to enable students to:  

• Acquire knowledge and different theoretical perspectives to understand different forms of domestic violence.
• Develop professional competence in assessing and providing effective interventions for the victims, survivors and abusers of domestic violence with multi-levels, inter-systems, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Develop professional competence in designing and promoting preventive programmes related to domestic violence.