Course
Discontinued
No
Course Code
YJWD 2460
Descriptive
Family Violence, Abuse and Recovery for the Youth Justice Worker
Department
Youth Justice
Faculty
Applied Community Studies
Credits
3.00
Start Date
End Term
201720
PLAR
Yes
Semester Length
Flexible delivery ranging over 10 to 15 weeks
Max Class Size
30
Contact Hours
60 hours
Method(s) Of Instruction
Lecture
Hybrid
Learning Activities
- Lecture
- Group discussion and exercises
- Student presentations
- Audio-visual presentations
- WebCT
Course Description
In this course, students will examine a broad range of abuse issues affecting youth. The role of the youth justice worker in assessing the indicators of abuse, reporting abuse, providing support and referral to both victims of abuse and their family members will be examined from a practice and policy perspective. This course will explore the causal factors, intervention strategies and role of the youth justice worker in working with adolescent offenders. The course will also explore how our attitudes, values, and experiences affect our perceptions and judgments when dealing with the subject of abuse.
Course Content
The following global ideas guide the design and delivery of this course:
- Abuse occurs in the context of family, community, and culture. Individuals can respond reactively for a number of reasons (emotional, psychological, economic) and intentionally or unintentionally cause harm to others. Human development, change, and adaptation occur throughout the lifespan.
- Abuse takes on many forms and interpretations. Abuse can be presented as physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse. While many victims represent vulnerable populations (children, elderly, disabled, women) abuse surpasses race, class, and economic status.
- Child abuse is historically problematic. Concerns raised to the protection of children have continually led to debate over the sanctity of the family versus state intervention.
- Family violence affects one in eight families. The themes of gender and socialization are central to an understanding of wife battering, child abuse and sexual assault. Family violence, particularly wife battering, is a reflection of an unequal distribution of power within a society that is patriarchal, based on male prerogative.
- Adolescents who develop a pattern of sexual offending will benefit from an inter-professional supportive intervention with a goal of stopping sexual offending behavior.
- The role of human service practitioners in abuse situations is to support, report, advocate and refer. It is critical that practitioners refrain from investigations, as this is the responsibility of the police, Crown Counsel, and/or child protective services.
- Abuse intervention is difficult and can often be disturbing. Practitioner self-care is an essential component to effective work. Practitioners can benefit from establishing personal and/or professional support systems. Practitioner's well-being is dependent upon self-awareness, a sense of humor, objectivity and the ability to be proactive. A personal plan aimed at stress reduction and self-care is recommended.
- Working with people involves both personal and professional values, attitudes, and beliefs. Ethics are central in working with issues of abuse and violence
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Identify how our personal and professional attitudes, values and experiences affect our perceptions and judgments when working with adolescent offenders and intervening in cases of potential abuse and family violence.
- Define the various types of child abuse and family violence, including physical and emotional abuse and neglect, sexual abuse and partner abuse.
- Recognize the historical perspective of how societies have perceived and intervened in family violence.
- Identify the indicators of the various types of child abuse and family violence and apply the appropriate child protection and criminal reporting procedures.
- Identify the psychological, social and cultural causal factors of the various types of child abuse and family violence.
- Recognize the potentially abused child in a disclosure process and apply the practice skills to support this process when working with youth.
- Identify the emotional, behavioral and psychological impact on children and youth who experience and/or witness child abuse and/or family violence.
- Apply the appropriate practice skills to provide support and referral to youth that have witnessed and/or experienced child abuse and/or family violence.
- Identify the range of sexual offences a youth may commit and the causal factors of sexual offending.
- Identify assessment and intervention strategies that the professional community utilizes in working with adolescent offenders.
- Apply the appropriate practice skills to provide support and referral to youth who have committed or are at risk of sexual offending.
- Identify key current ethical dilemmas and perspectives in the field of family violence.
- Practice self-care when working with individuals and families and the various types of child abuse and family violence.
Means of Assessment
This course will conform to Douglas College policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations.
Typical means of evaluation will include a combination of written research assignments, journals, class presentations, exams and class participation.
Textbook Materials
- T.B.A.