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Supporting Victims of Domestic Violence

Enhance your professional understanding of domestic abuse and learn how to better support domestic violence victims with the University of Sheffield's online course.

Duration

3 weeks

Weekly study

3 hours

100% online

How it works

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Enhance your knowledge of gender-based violence and the forms of domestic abuse

Domestic violence is a global health issue that can take many forms and affect anyone.

Health and social care professionals play an important role in recognising and helping victims of violent and abusive relationships.

On this course, you’ll address the role of gender in domestic violence and learn to recognise the various forms of violence and abuse.

You’ll reflect on the impact of domestic violence and understand your responsibilities as a health or social care worker.

By the end of this course, you’ll feel more confident to help support domestic violence victims and survivors.

Week 1
Gender and Gender-Based Violence
- Would you walk home alone at night?
  We start the course with a simple question; would you feel confident walking home by yourself late at night?
- What is gender?
  In this activity, we’ll explore the concept of gender and find out how it influences our behaviour and the way we treat others.
- Forms of domestic violence and abuse
  Domestic violence and abuse is a form of gender-based violence. In this activity, we'll discuss why DVA is a gendered issue and discuss the many different forms that it can take.
- Why doesn't she leave?
  Over the next three weeks, we want to help you understand why someone would struggle to leave an abusive relationship so that you can confidently answer the question - why doesn’t she leave?
Week 2
Recognising Domestic Violence and Abuse
- How prevalent is domestic violence and abuse?
  DVA exists in many different forms and affects people in every society, country, culture and religion. In this first activity, we’ll explore the prevalence of DVA around the world.
- The impact of domestic violence and abuse
  In this activity, we'll find out why some groups are at risk of experiencing abuse and learn about the serious effects it has on the victim, their family and their children.
- Recognising the signs
  There are a whole range of signs and symptoms that can alert you to a person experiencing DVA. Some are explicit and some could be very subtle. In this activity, we'll explore how to recognise victims of DVA.
- Why doesn't she leave?
  As we approach the end of the week, we'll return to Sarah's story. What is the impact of her experiences for herself and her children? Why do you think that Sarah is unable to leave this relationship?
Week 3
Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence
- Talking to victims
  Even if you suspect abuse might be occurring, it can still be difficult to bring up it up. In this activity, we'll explore how to start a conversation about DVA.
- Practical advice
  In this activity, we'll look at some of the more practical aspects of providing support, including how to gather and record information and how to put a safety plan in place.
- Working in partnership with others
  A multi-agency response is the most effective response to DVA. We'll look at what makes a successful partnership between different agencies and learn about MARACs where professionals come together to discuss how to help victims.
- Moving forwards
  In this final activity, we'll return to Sarah's story one last time. You'll also have the opportunity to see how much you have learned in our end of course test.