Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Course Description: This course explores family violence with primary emphasis on the problems of spouse abuse and child
abuse. Analysis of each of these areas of family violence focuses specifically on the epidemiology of the problem, characteristics
of the families, etiological theories, and treatment approaches.
*This class may be taken by individuals who do or do not have knowledge about family abuse. The class will not act as a
counseling session for anyone. However, due to the sensitive nature of family violence, assignments and classroom activities or
discussions may be disturbing for those who have experienced domestic abuse or know someone who has. The National Domestic
Violence Hotline for confidential crisis counseling and referral is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day at 1-800-799-7233.
Attendance Policy/Class Participation: Attendance is very important, especially since the class meets only once a week, and
participation will account for up to 14% of your grade (1 point per class attended). In order to receive credit for attending and
turning in assignments, the student must be present during the class meeting time. Students will be responsible for all classes
missed due to either an excused or unexcused absence. Excessive tardiness or disruptive behavior may result in the student being
asked to leave the classroom, and, if necessary, steps may be made to refer the student for disciplinary actions. If you stop
attending, but do not officially withdraw from the course by the withdrawal date, you will receive an “F”.
Method of Presentation: Discussion, lecture, projects, small group exercises, and multiple forms of technology will be used
throughout the semester. It is important that every student reads each chapter before coming to class so the material will be
familiar for class discussions.
Method of Evaluation:
Assignment Percentage / Points
Coursework 30% / 30 points
§ 16% / 16 points: discussion papers
§ 14% / 14 points: attendance
Project 40% / 40 points:
§ 30% / 30 points: instructor grade
§ 10% / 10 points: peer review
- 5% / 5 points: from peers
- 5% / 5 points: for peers
Exam 30% / 30 points
Coursework: Daily reading assignments will be given and are to be completed prior to the following class period. While reading
each chapter, students should type one question or point they thought of during the readings and, at the conclusion of the reading
assignment, create 1 page-length (double-spaced) discussion of what they believe is the answer to the question based on what was
learned from the text. There should be one paper per weekly assignment. The papers will be discussed in class, and all students
will be held accountable for this information. Students will be asked to discuss questions in class and will lose credit if
participation does not occur. At the conclusion of each class, the papers should be handed into the instructor for credit. The student
should turn in a total of 8 questions worth 2 points each for a total of 16 points (16%) of the final grade.
Homework must be turned in during class for credit; no late or early work will be accepted.
Project: A final project will be chosen by each student to be completed by the end of the semester. A list of project choices will be
given at the first of the semester. Projects will be completed by groups of students and should be worked on throughout the entire
semester. Project proposals must be turned in no later than the date assigned on the course schedule and need to be approved by
the instructor. Presentations of the projects will be given during assigned timeslots towards the end of the semester (see schedule
for exact dates). The presentations must be between 15 and 20 minutes and must include visual aids and summary handouts for
the instructor and each of the fellow classmates. Projects account for 40 points (40%) of the final grade, and peer reviews will be
completed by each student regarding every presenter (students will also receive points for completing reviews on peers).
Exam: One examination worth 30 points (30%) will be given during the semester; therefore, missing class the day of the final will
result in class failure. The exam may have numerous testing formats, including multiple choice, true/false, short answer, listing,
and discussion questions. A review will be given and questions regarding the test may be asked to help the student prepare, but the
instructor maintains full discretion to include additional information in the test. A blank blue book will be required for the test
and will not be provided by the instructor; students may purchase blue books from the campus bookstore.