Social work students praise dedicated domestic abuse and sexual violence module

A University of Bradford module dedicated to domestic abuse and sexual violence has been hailed as a success by students and tutors, with the university describing it as what is believed to be the UK's first of its kind.

The module forms part of the university's Bachelor of Arts Social Work degree programme and aims to equip future social workers with the knowledge, skills and confidence to respond to abuse.

Designed by Dr Gill Kirkman, a former social worker who spent 14 years working in child protection and family support before becoming an Assistant Professor of Social Work, the module was developed through a partnership involving Bradford Council's Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (DASV) Team, specialist third-sector organisations, experts by experience, Bradford Children's Trust and local authority partners.

Kirkman said: "This module has been a phenomenal example of co-production, bringing together domestic abuse specialists, frontline practitioners and experts by experience through a shared commitment to improving practice."

She added: "Together we have created a learning experience that helps future social workers understand the complexities of victim and perpetrator behaviour, recognise risk, listen to survivors and respond in ways that prioritise safety, dignity and accountability."

The curriculum was developed collaboratively with practitioners and people with lived experience to reflect the realities of frontline social work. Students are encouraged to examine the dynamics of abuse, professional responses, victim safety and perpetrator accountability.

Lindsay Bridge, Workforce Development Officer in Bradford Council's Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Team, said: "It was a pleasure working with Gill to bring about this module and every partner agency we approached was enthusiastic to contribute.

"Involving our specialist partners working with adult and child victims, survivors and those who cause harm made for an up-to-the-minute learning experience for social work students."

Initial feedback from students has been positive, with one describing the module as "the most crucial module throughout my three years at university" and another saying the learning could be "instantly applied in placement and then in practice."

Over 12 weeks, students explore domestic abuse and sexual violence across the life course, covering coercive control, stalking, post-separation abuse, safeguarding, risk assessment, multi-agency working, perpetrator behaviour, domestic homicide reviews and culturally responsive practice.

Teaching is supported by specialist practitioners, survivors and organisations working directly with victims, families and those who perpetrate abuse.

The module's launch comes as the UK Government has described violence against women and girls as a national emergency and committed to halving gender-based violence over the next decade. Domestic Abuse Commissioner Nicole Jacobs has also raised concerns about inconsistency in domestic abuse teaching across social work programmes.

Domestic abuse remains one of the most common issues encountered by social workers, particularly in children and families' services, but dedicated teaching has historically been limited or fragmented within many qualifying programmes.

The university says the initiative aims to strengthen safeguarding responses, improve outcomes for victims and survivors, and provide a blueprint for embedding domestic abuse and sexual violence more effectively in social work education.