Reflecting on and Responding to Domestic Abuse and Coercive Control’ (Level 6 Special Purpose Award) was developed as a partnership between Haven Horizons and Technological University of Shannon (TUS).
Semester 2 Intake: Tuesday 21st February to Tuesday 9th May 2023, 7pm – 9pm – (No classes on Tuesday 4th April and Tuesday 11th April due to Easter break). Registration closes 20th January 2023.
Delivery – This programme will be delivered online over a period of 10 weeks. There will be a 2 hour live online lecture per week, asynchronous content, and discussion forums.
Course content
Domestic abuse and coercive control are pervasive societal problems affecting people from all cultural, educational, religious, gender and socioeconomic backgrounds.
The course will provide students with:
- An understanding of theories, concepts, myths and dynamics in relation to domestic abuse and coercive control.
- The knowledge and skills to respond appropriately to victims, understand barriers to seeking help, identify appropriate multi-disciplinary collaboration and the importance of self-care.
- Opportunities to reflect on their understanding of national and international intervention and prevention strategies as the course progresses.
The course will use real life case studies to examine the barriers to help-seeking and disclosure, victim engagement, victim safety, risk assessment, perpetrator accountability, effective interagency practice and prevention strategies.
What modules will I study?
Module One – Reflecting on Domestic Abuse and Coercive Control provides an in-depth understanding of the theories, concepts, dynamics and impact of domestic abuse and coercive control. This module will encourage students to reflect on their understanding of the issues, to examine their beliefs and attitudes on the topic and to incorporate new information.
Module Two – Responding to Domestic Abuse and Coercive Control builds on the learning in module one and explores the practice application of the knowledge, covering best practice in intervention and responding. The course will use real life case studies to examine the barriers to help-seeking and disclosure, victim engagement, victim safety, risk assessment, perpetrator accountability, effective interagency practice and prevention strategies. The course will provide an in-depth analysis of coercive control, a pattern of behaviour that has been described as “domestic hostage-taking” and a criminal offence in Ireland since January 2019.
Who is the course suitable for?
The course will be of interest to personnel in frontline services that deal with domestic abuse, and anyone whose work or volunteering will bring them into contact with victims or perpetrators of domestic abuse and coercive control.
Please note that this course is not suitable for people currently:
- experiencing domestic, sexual, gender-based abuse
- attending support services for victims or perpetrators of domestic, sexual, gender-based abuse
- involved in court proceedings regarding domestic, sexual, gender-based abuse
What are the entry requirements?
Applicants must hold Leaving Certificate. Recognition of relevant prior work or volunteer experience will be taken into account.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE: Applicants who do not have English as their first language must ensure they satisfy English Language requirements. For entry to undergraduate courses, a minimum score of 5.5 in an IELTS exam is required. For postgraduate courses, a minimum of 6.0 is required. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure their English proficiency meets these requirements.
MORE INFORMATION
What will the time commitment be?
Each 5 credits will normally equate to approximately 100 Total Learning Hours. Total Learning Hours includes the time you spend in class (lectures, tutorials, practical elements) and the time you spend completing work outside of college. The balance between these two varies by discipline, and by level of study. You should bear in mind that the workload will increase at particular times e.g. when assignments are due.
Assessment
Continuous assessment – there will be an assignment for each module.
Qualification
Certificate in Reflecting on and Responding to Domestic Abuse and Coercive Control (Special Purpose Award, Level 6, 10 Credits).
Students must pass both modules to receive the certification.