An overwhelming percentage of the work done by Social workers, youth workers and other human service workers, focuses on addressing the consequences of domestic/family violence and childhood sexual abuse. This course is designed to give students an introduction to this work in domestic/family violence, sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse. Students will examine the social and political underpinnings of violence in our society and the gendered manifestations of this. Students will gain an understanding of the definitions of, and myths about, the many forms of domestic/family violence and sexual abuse, and investigate in whose interests these are maintained. Students will be introduced to current statistics, research and legal responses to this issue as well as the physical and emotional effects on survivors. Students will explore ways in which they can identify and support survivors in ways which promote perpetrator accountability for the abuse and the consequences of this abuse.