Unit Outline

This unit examines the nature, dynamics, causes, and consequences of violence and abuse, with a focus on social work practice. Students will explore the social, psychological, and political underpinnings of violence, with particular attention to gendered and intersectional dimensions. The unit critically analyses policy and practice responses, highlighting challenges affecting diverse populations and identifying gaps in current intervention and prevention strategies. Recognising the risks of over-pathologising suffering, this unit emphasises the complexity of human experiences following trauma and the human capacity for development and post-traumatic growth. Through a trauma-informed lens, students will evaluate how social work practice can foster more inclusive, ethical responses to violence and abuse. This unit builds on prerequisite studies and providing advanced preparation for the final-year field placement.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Identify and define types of violence and abuse, understanding their prevalence, nature, and impact across individual, family, community, and societal contexts.
2	Apply relevant theories to explain the occurrence of violence and abuse, highlighting the roles of power and control in victimisation.
3	Critically assess responses to violence and trauma, integrating various theoretical perspectives, research evidence, and legislative and policy frameworks.
4	Reflect on personal values, assumptions, and beliefs in relation to practice, demonstrating a commitment to social justice, respect, and human rights in professional practice.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	HGW327, HGW308, HGW302, HGW303

Alterations as a result of student feedback

This unit has undergone substantial redevelopment in response to feedback from students, employers, the AASW, and other key stakeholders. The scope has broadened to include assessing and responding to violence and abuse; previously, the unit focused primarily on trauma-informed practice and groupwork. Students also expressed a strong desire forr more skills based learning, which has directly informed the redesign.
As always, the teaching team will greatly appreciatee your feedback both informally during the delivery of the unit in 2026, and formally through the University of Tasmania’s Unit Survey following your completion of the unit.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Information guide	Week 5	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Podcast and Reflection	Week 9	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Trauma-informed practice brief	Week 12	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Information guide

Task Description:

In this assessment, students will design and develop an information guide aimed at supporting a specific client group (e.g., Aboriginal peoples, older adults, refugees or migrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, or veterans) who are at risk or have experienced violence and abuse. The guide should focus on a relevant issue, such as domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, sexual assault, or intimate partner violence, and its impact on the chosen group. Students are required to demonstrate an understanding of how violence and abuse manifest within the context of their selected group, acknowledging the unique challenges and barriers faced in seeking support. The resource, which may be presented as a brochure, fact sheet, or pamphlet, must be clear and accessible, providing practical information and support options. It should also include references to credible sources that underpin the information provided.

Task Length:

1500

Due Date:

Week 5

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrates a clear understanding of the distinct violence and abuse experiences and needs of the selected client group (30%)	LO1
2	Applies relevant theories and evidence to explain the occurrence of violence and abuse within the client group (40%)	LO2, LO3
3	Develops a user-friendly and accessible information guide that reflects a commitment to social justice and human rights in addressing the chosen issue (30%)	LO4

Assessment Task 2: Podcast and Reflection

Task Description:

In this assessment, students will work in small groups to produce a podcast for social work practitioners that explores key aspects of trauma recovery, focusing on a specific topic related to trauma and recovery models of practice. Groups will critically evaluate theoretical perspectives on their chosen topic. The podcast will be produced entirely by the group, including planning, preparation, writing, recording, and uploading. Additionally, each student will submit a document that reflects on the group process, including their individual contributions, challenges encountered, and how these were navigated.

Task Length:

15-minute podcast 1000-word reflection

Due Date:

Week 9

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Provides a comprehensive and critical evaluation of theoretical perspectives on trauma recovery, incorporating relevant research to the chosen topic (40%)	LO2, LO3
2	Develops an engaging, well-structured podcast that clearly communicates key aspects of trauma recovery, ensuring the content is accessible and relevant for social work practitioners (30%)	LO1, LO3
3	Reflects on group coordination and task management, reflecting a commitment to collaborative and professional practice (30%)	LO4

Assessment Task 3: Trauma-informed practice brief

Task Description:

In this assessment, you will prepare a Trauma-Informed Practice Brief for Warinna Neighbourhood House in response to the Ali family case and the issues explored across the unit.
You are asked to demonstrate how your learning has shaped your professional judgement, your ethical reasoning, your organisational thinking and your approach to psychosocial assessment.
You will produce a single, integrated professional brief with four linked components:
1. Professional reflective analysis
2. Organisational action planning
3. A practitioner assessment tool
4. Evidence of learning and process
Your brief should draw directly on your cumulative learning over the semester. You are not expected to introduce new case facts beyond the weekly scenario developments provided.
The central question you are answering is ‘How should Warinna Neighbourhood House embed trauma-informed and culturally responsive practice in response to the Ali family scenario, and what does this require of me as a social worker?’ All parts of the assessment should clearly respond to this question.

Part A Reflective Analysis (1,200–1,400 words)
Drawing on your learning across the unit, write a reflective professional analysis explaining how you would respond as a social worker at Warinna Neighbourhood House following the Ali family situation. Your analysis must be grounded in at least four specific weekly scenario developments or practitioner insights, and your Week 8 Skills Lab experience and feedback.
Your analysis should address:
1. Values-in-action: reflect on how your values, assumptions and professional positioning shape the way you understand and respond to the Ali family situation. Identify at least one moment in the scenario where your thinking changed or deepened in the semester.
2. Ethical dilemmas and tensions: analyse two professional ethical dilemmas arising from the scenario or organisational context. At least one dilemma must involve systemic or organisational tension (e.g. racism, resource limits, policy constrains, institutional responses), not only client-level practice. For each dilemma explain why it is ethically complex and outline how you would reason through it using social work values, ethics and human rights.
3. Trauma across levels of practice: analyse how violence, abuse and trauma operate across individual, family, organisational and community contexts in Warinna. Explicitly consider intersecting sociocultural factors such as racism, migration, rurality and community harm. Your focus is analysis not proposing interventions.
4. Practitioner wellbeing and moral distress: reflect on the emotional and ethical demands of this work and identify strategies to support staff wellbeing and prevent moral distress within Warinna Neighbourhood House.

Part B Mini Organisational Plan (600–800 words)
Building directly from your reflective analysis, propose 2–3 realistic organisational strategies to strengthen trauma-informed and culturally responsive practice at Warinna Neighbourhood House.
Your strategies should address organisational culture, service delivery, and/or community engagement, and they must reflect trauma-informed principles such as safety, choice, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural responsiveness.
For at least one strategy, identify a likely limitation, risk or implementation challenge and how you would mitigate this in practice.
Your plan should be grounded in theory and practitioner insights, realistic for a small community organisation, ethically informed, and clearly linked to issues raised in the Ali family scenario.

Part C Psychosocial Assessment Guide (1 page)
Create a quick-reference guide for trauma-informed psychosocial assessment tailored to Warinna Neighbourhood House. This artefact should be designed as a one-page, practitioner ready tool (e.g. checklist, prompt guide, flow chart) not a full assessment template. Your tool should use non pathologising, strengths based language and avoid deficit framing.

Part D Evidence of Learning (Appendices)
Please include:
• Your Week 8 Skills Lab feedback sheet (photo or scan).
• An annotated reading log of 6–10 sources. Your reading log should include a mix of theory, practice guidance and empirical or policy evidence. For each source, provide one sentence explaining how it shaped a decision in your analysis, a strategy in your organisational plan, or an element of your assessment tool. At least one source must address systemic or structural dimensions of trauma (e.g. racism, policy, organisational practice).
Your assessment will be evaluated as a single integrated professional brief. Markers will look for clear links between your reflective analysis (Part A), your organisational strategies (Part B), and your psychosocial assessment tool (Part C). These components should not stand alone. Each should clearly build on the others.

Task Length:

2000 words (+ 1 page assessment guide and appendices)

Due Date:

Week 12

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Critically analyse violence, abuse and trauma across individual – community levels in the Warinna context, demonstrating nuanced understanding of intersecting sociocultural factors.	LO1
2	Apply and integrate relevant theories and trauma informed principles to justify professional responses and propose context appropriate organisational strategies considering constraints, risks and ethics.	LO2, LO3
3	Demonstrates sophisticated reflective and ethical reasoning, identifying values in action, analysing complex dilemmas, and using a principled decision-making process.	LO4
4	Integrates unit learning to produce a coherent practice ready brief that synthesises practitioner perspectives, scholarship and organisational considerations with well substantiated claims.	LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Academic progress review

The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.