CQUniversity Unit Profile
DFVP20005 Men's Behaviour Change Interventions and Practice
Men's Behaviour Change Interventions and Practice
All details in this unit profile for DFVP20005 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

This unit will provide you with opportunities to develop specialist knowledge of men’s behaviour change interventions and practice with a specific focus on working with voluntary and involuntary clients in domestic and family violence work. Critical use is made of evidence-based research, and practice and policy documents addressing issues related to working with users of violence. Research and writing on a selection of group work modalities and applied group work skills will be taught in this unit. You will explore legal and safety considerations that arise from working with this client group and consider ethical, professional and self-management implications for practice. You will learn more about domestic and family violence perpetration as it affects people from vulnerable populations, such as Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Details

Career Level: Postgraduate
Unit Level: Level 8
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 10
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

There are no requisites for this unit.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 1 - 2017

Distance

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Written Assessment
Weighting: 40%
2. Portfolio
Weighting: 60%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Examine the complexities of working with voluntary and involuntary clients who use violence in relation to the influence of gender, ethnicity and culture
  2. Identify defusion strategies for users of violence and reflect on the applicability of these approaches across a range of contexts
  3. Formulate strategies to address the safety issues for the family members of users of violence
  4. Analyse critically prevailing evaluation research on individual and group work modalities for working with users of violence
  5. Demonstrate the ability to apply, and reflect upon, legal, safety and ethical principles in working with users of violence.
Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Written Assessment - 40%
2 - Portfolio - 60%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Knowledge
2 - Communication
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills
4 - Research
5 - Self-management
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility
7 - Leadership
8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes

Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 - Written Assessment - 40%
2 - Portfolio - 60%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

There are no required textbooks.

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 6th Edition (APA 6th edition)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Andrew Frost Unit Coordinator
a.r.frost@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 06 Mar 2017

Module/Topic

Introductions and a Beginning

Chapter

Pease, B. (2008). Engaging men in men's violence prevention: exploring the tensions, dilemmas and possibilities, Issues Paper, 17, Sydney: Australian Domestic & Family Violence Clearinghouse.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 Begin Date: 13 Mar 2017

Module/Topic

History and evolution of men's behaviour change as response to domestic and family violence

Chapter

Gondolf, E. W. (2012). The future of batterer programs, Chapter 1: The uncertain state of batterer programs, pp. 13-45. Boston: Northeastern University Press.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3 Begin Date: 20 Mar 2017

Module/Topic

Masculinities and vulnerable populations

Chapter

Carrington, K. (2014). Feminism and global justice, Chapter 5: Masculinity matters: Super-capitalism, men and violence, pp. 101-133. Hoboken: Taylor & Francis.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 27 Mar 2017

Module/Topic

Integrating men's behaviour change as response to domestic and family violence

Chapter

Vlais, R. (2014). Domestic violence perpetrator programs: Education, therapy, support, accountability 'or' struggle? Melbourne: No To Violence. Male Family Violence Prevention Association.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5 Begin Date: 03 Apr 2017

Module/Topic

Frameworks for transformation

Chapter

Netto, N.R., Carter, J.M., & Bonell, C. (2014). A systematic review of interventions that adopt the good lives approach to offender rehabilitation. Journal of Offender rehabilitation, 53: 403-432

Events and Submissions/Topic

Written Assessment Due: Week 5 Friday (7 Apr 2017) 11:45 pm AEST
Vacation Week Begin Date: 10 Apr 2017

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6 Begin Date: 17 Apr 2017

Module/Topic

Practice approaches

Chapter

ANROWS (2015). Perpetrator interventions in Australia: Key findings and future directions. Compass research to Policy and practice (issue PP01).

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 7 Begin Date: 24 Apr 2017

Module/Topic

Intervention models

Chapter

Mandel, D. (2010). Child Welfare and Domestic Violence: Tackling the Themes and Thorny Questions That Stand in the Way of Collaboration and Improvement of Child Welfare Practice Violence Against Women 16 (5): 530-536

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 8 Begin Date: 01 May 2017

Module/Topic

A desistance paradigm

Chapter

McNeil, F. (2016) A desistance paradigm for offender management. Criminology & Criminal Justice, 6 (1) : 39-62

Events and Submissions/Topic

Portfolio Activity 1

Week 9 Begin Date: 08 May 2017

Module/Topic

Intervention contexts

Chapter

Harway, M. & Evans, K. (1996). Working in groups with men who batter. In M.P., Andronico, (Ed) Men in groups: Insights, Interventions, and psychoeducational work (357-374). Washington: APA

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 10 Begin Date: 15 May 2017

Module/Topic

Intervention processes

Chapter

Hall J.C. (2011). A narrative approach to group work with men who batter. Social work With Groups, 34:175-189

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 11 Begin Date: 22 May 2017

Module/Topic

Professional practices

Chapter

Day, A. & Ward, T. (2010). Offender rehabilitation as a value-laden process. International Journal of Offender Therapy & Comparative Criminology, 54 (3): 289-306

Events and Submissions/Topic

Portfolio Activity 2

Week 12 Begin Date: 29 May 2017

Module/Topic

An integrated contemporary approach

Chapter

Roy, V., Chateauvert, J., & Richard, M-C. (2013). An ecological examination of factors influencing men’s engagement in intimate partner violence groups. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 28 (9) 1798-1816.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 05 Jun 2017

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Exam Week Begin Date: 12 Jun 2017

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Tasks

1 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Written Assessment

Task Description

Report

You are required to write a brief report. This task provides you with an opportunity to thoroughly investigate and address a key issue in domestic and family violence practice, namely: the complexities of working with clients (voluntary and involuntary) who use violence.

Background:

Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has now finalised the National Outcome Standards for Perpetrator Interventions and seeks feedback from service providers in this field. Your Men’s Behaviour Change service works with men at various stages of readiness for change and takes this opportunity to convey to policy makers what is required to respond to the challenges of working with this client group in your community.

In particular, your supervisor has asked you to review Headline Standard 2 (reproduced below) and to propose a set of recommendations for the incorporation of this standard into your service. Your submission to COAG will be in the form of a report, the template for which will be available in Moodle.

Headline Standard 2:

Perpetrators get the right interventions at the right time

Our systems and services must play an effective role in ending perpetrators’ violence by working together at every opportunity to identify, keep sight of and engage with perpetrators.

It is imperative that our systems and services share relevant information about perpetrators and victims wherever possible[1], including information on victim/survivor safety and perpetrator risk. This information must be used to help the perpetrator accountability system to respond in integrated ways so that the right parts of the system can engage with the perpetrator at the most effective times to reduce the risk of him committing violence, and minimise the impacts of any violence that does occur.

We must ensure that we intervene swiftly with perpetrators as soon as an instance of their violence is identified in ways that stop their violence and give the perpetrator opportunities to change his violent behaviours and attitudes.

Perpetrator interventions must be designed to respond effectively to perpetrators from diverse cultures, and communities and circumstances at all the key points of engagement with them in the perpetrator accountability system. Effective interventions with perpetrators must include specific responses suited to ending as early as possible the violence of perpetrators who are engaging with the system for the first time as well as responses suited to minimising harm from persistent re-offending.

COAG (2015). National Outcome Standards for Perpetrator Interventions, Canberra, ACT: Author, p. 8.

Your recommendations should:

· Where possible cite contemporary published and ‘grey’ literature, including service standards and evaluations, government reports and so on

· Reflect the characteristics of your service and the community it serves (e.g., the gender, ethnic and cultural considerations for your community)

· Be specific, achievable and measurable.

You should include at least ten references in your report. At least six of these should be academic references based on empirical and/ or theoretical examinations of the issues implicit in this statement. Remaining references may be sources from the grey literature.


[1] Sharing of information must remain consistent with all relevant legislation, including information privacy provisions and principles.


Assessment Due Date

Week 5 Friday (7 Apr 2017) 11:45 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Assessment will be returned 10 working days after submission.


Weighting
40%

Minimum mark or grade
10

Assessment Criteria

HD D C P F
Structure (10%)
Excellent presentation of assignment, double spaced with 12-point font. Consistently accurate with spelling, grammar and paragraph structure. Well-presented assignment, double spaced with 12-point font. 1 or 2 errors spelling, grammar and paragraph structure. Well-presented assignment, double spaced with 12-point font. 3 or 4 consistent errors with spelling, grammar and paragraph structure. Well-presented assignment, double spaced with 12-point font. 3 or 4 inconsistent errors with spelling, grammar and paragraph structure Poorly presented assignment. Double spacing not used. 12-point font not used. Many inaccuracies with spelling, grammar and paragraph structure. (> 5 errors).
Approach & Argument (75%)
Overall, content is entirely relevant to the topic, the approach comprehensively addresses the task and the argument proceeds logically and is within the set word limit. Overall, content is very relevant to the topic, the approach clearly addresses the task and the argument proceeds logically and is within the set word limit Overall, content is appropriate to the topic, the approach mostly addresses the task and the argument for the most part proceeds logically and is within the set word limit Overall, content addresses the task but the argument is at times repetitive or lacks cohesion and is within the set word limit with a 10% allowance (under or over the set limit) Overall, content is irrelevant and or does not address the task and the argument lacks cohesion. The word limit has not been adhered to, the word limit is well over or under the 10% allowance
A very articulate and comprehensive piece of work. There has been rigorous and critical evaluation of a comprehensive body of evidence. A very compelling articulation to policy makers of what is required to respond to the challenges of working with client group. Proposal of a set of recommendations for incorporation of standard into service that: · Reflect the characteristics of a service and the community it serves in terms of gender, ethnic and cultural considerations. · Are specific, achievable and measurable. An articulate and comprehensive piece of work. A range of evidence has been critically evaluated. All aspects of the task have been addressed. A comprehensive piece of work. The evidence has been evaluated. All aspects of the task have been addressed. The discussion demonstrates a generalised or limited understanding of the topic. Some evidence has been evaluated. All aspects of the task have been addressed. There is little/ no attempt at critical evaluation of the evidence. Not all aspects have been addressed/ have been inadequately addressed.
Referencing (15%)
Consistently integrates up-to-date references to support and reflect all ideas, factual information and quotations. Generally integrates up-to-date references to support and reflect ideas, factual information and quotations, with 1 or 2 exceptions Partly integrates up-to-date references to support and reflect ideas, factual information and quotations, with 3 or 4 exceptions Occasionally integrates up-to-date references to support and reflect ideas, factual information and quotations, with 5 or 6 exceptions Fails to or infrequent attempts (>7 errors) to integrate up-to-date references to support and reflect ideas, factual information and quotations
Consistently accurate with referencing. A minimum of 15 references used including 8 journal articles and relevant grey literature (may include practice guidelines and evidence-based practitioner manuals). 1 or 2 consistent referencing errors identified. A minimum of 15 references used including 6 journal articles and relevant grey literature (may include practice guidelines and evidence-based practitioner manuals). 3 or 4 consistent referencing errors identified. A minimum of 15 references used including 5 journal articles and relevant grey literature (may include practice guidelines and evidence-based practitioner manuals). 3 or 4 inconsistent referencing errors identified. A minimum of 15 references used including 4 journal articles and relevant grey literature (may include practice guidelines and evidence-based practitioner manuals). Many inaccuracies with referencing (>5). Fewer than 15 references used. Fewer than 4 journal articles sourced. Relevant grey literature (including practice guidelines and evidence-based practitioner manuals) not included.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Submission through Moodle.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Examine the complexities of working with voluntary and involuntary clients who use violence in relation to the influence of gender, ethnicity and culture
  • Identify defusion strategies for users of violence and reflect on the applicability of these approaches across a range of contexts
  • Demonstrate the ability to apply, and reflect upon, legal, safety and ethical principles in working with users of violence.


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research
  • Self-management
  • Ethical and Professional Responsibility
  • Leadership

2 Portfolio

Assessment Title
Portfolio

Task Description

For each of the two Portfolio Activities assume you are developing a Men’s Behaviour Change (MBC) program to engage a mix of clients from diverse cultural backgrounds and stages of readiness. Your service is a non-government organisation that works with families and is located in a large rural area, with an urban centre population of 80,000.

Your program is non-mandated (‘voluntary’) and is to be conducted primarily in a group format.

The outputs from the two Activities (below) will provide components of a practice manual for your service. The manual is to be used by a range of staff in your service, some of whom are not specialists in working with perpetrators of domestic and family violence. The manual is designed to ensure the integrity of your program and safe practice.

Portfolio Activity 1: Program Rationale & Overview

1,500 words total (+/- 10%), 30% weighting

Due 11:45pm, Friday week 8 – (05/05/2017)

Your group-based Men’s Behaviour Change program will seek to help address the safety of family members through promoting accountability and behaviour change in perpetrators of violence over 15 sessions. Write a program rationale (approximately 500 words) followed by a program overview intended for inclusion in the practice manual described above.

Using references to theory and research from the field, the rationale should convey the aptness of the approach to colleagues: Why is a group-based Men’s Behaviour Change program the preferred format for this service? What are its strengths in relation to individual, community, or family work for this client group?

In presenting your overview, use the template provided in Moodle to outline the intended process of intervention for the 15-session program.

Activity guidelines

Since you are helping develop the program’s manual, the design you propose should be replicable (i.e., able to be used repeatedly with different groups of participants)

Your design should include the following:

Sensitivity to the diversity within the population that your program serves

Given its concise nature, the rationale need only present a single line of argument, but adhere to standard (APA) referencing requirements

The overview should present a breakdown of the structure of the program (i.e., provide a session-by-session outline)

The emphasis in the overview should be on the process(es), rather than the content, of the program

A template for the overview will be supplied in Moodle.

At least eight references should be included

Portfolio Activity 2: Program Safety

1,500 words (+/- 10%), 30% weighting

Due 11:45pm, Friday week 11 – (26/05/2017)

The practice manual for your program (as described above) must include broad safety considerations.

With reference to your Program Rationale & Overview (from Activity 1), formulate a set of safety guidelines (approximately 1,000 words) that is designed to ensure primarily the safety of partners, ex-partners and family members, and to promote desistance from violence-related strategies.

Also present a comprehensive checklist, developed to ensure that the program incorporates and promotes: reflective practice; practitioner health and safety; legal and ethical principles for the protection of the community as well as all persons involved directly with the program.

Activity guidelines

Incorporate sensitivity to the specific population that your program serves and the diversity within it.

Safety guidelines should comprise a series of paragraphs, which may be sub-headed

The checklist can be tabulated as a series of directives developed to ensure adherence to safe principles and practice

At least eight references should be supplied in support of your guidelines.


Assessment Due Date

Portfolio Activity submission is at the end of Weeks 8 and 11


Return Date to Students

Assessment will be returned 10 working days after submission.


Weighting
60%

Minimum mark or grade
15

Assessment Criteria

Specific and detailed marking criteria will be supplied in the Moodle portal for this unit, in the Assessment" Section.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Submission through Moodle.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Identify defusion strategies for users of violence and reflect on the applicability of these approaches across a range of contexts
  • Formulate strategies to address the safety issues for the family members of users of violence
  • Analyse critically prevailing evaluation research on individual and group work modalities for working with users of violence
  • Demonstrate the ability to apply, and reflect upon, legal, safety and ethical principles in working with users of violence.


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research
  • Self-management
  • Ethical and Professional Responsibility
  • Leadership

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?