Iowa State University
HDFS 367XW: Abuse and Illness in Families
Spring 2015
*Syllabus is subject to change without notice*
Instructor: Jennifer Senia, M.S.
E-mail: jmsenia@iastate.edu; Emails may also be submitted through
Blackboard Learn. Expect email responses to primarily occur during normal
business hours and that it may take up to 48 hours to receive a response
from me.
Course Description:
This course examines the causes and consequences of family stressors including physical,
sexual, and emotional abuse; substance abuse; and mental and physical illness across the life
span. Interplay between victims, offenders, and the treatment system will be discussed. A
variety of points of view about each topic will be presented and discussed.
Student Learning Outcomes: By the end of the course, class members will have:
1. Demonstrated their knowledge of characteristics of various types and contexts of
abuse in families.
2. Demonstrated their knowledge of possible antecedents, various processes, and short
and long-term consequences of family abuse.
3. Demonstrated their knowledge of beliefs, attitudes, biases, and myths about family
abuse.
4. Demonstrated their knowledge of attributes of definitions of family abuse, and how
definitions influence family abuse recognition, reporting, intervention, and prevention.
5. Developed personal definitions of family abuse, and demonstrated their ability to
discuss the underlying assumptions, strengths, and weaknesses of these definitions,
and
6. Developed sensitivity and appreciation for the complexity of family abuse, and
difficulties associated with recognizing, reporting, intervening in, and preventing family
abuse.
Required Textbooks:
Hines, D.A., & Malley-Morrison, K. (2005). Family Violence in the United States:
Defining, Understanding, and Combating Abuse. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Publications, Inc.
Course Prerequisite: HDFS 102 or PSYCH 230
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Course Format:
This course will be delivered completely online via Blackboard Learn. As an online student,
you will have the following technological responsibilities: 1) be familiar with navigating
Blackboard ; 2) run a browser test to ensure that your computer meets at least the minimum
requirements for using Blackboard; 3) make sure you have a reliable internet connection;
and 4) ensure that your computer has adequate battery when working on Blackboard
assignments. Establish a backup plan for Internet access problems (e.g. computer lab, a
computer at a friend’s). Please visit the following link for student support using Blackboard
and troubleshooting tips: http://www.celt.iastate.edu/technology/blackboard/for-students/.
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COURSE POLICIES
Sensitive Nature of Course Content:
Due to the sensitive nature of this course’s content it may bring up upset or concerned
feelings; therefore, I have posted a list of available resources for students under the
“Resources” link in Blackboard. Professionalism and respect are expected and required for
this course. All students will be provided the opportunity to voice their opinions on topics.
Self-disclosure is not required; your personal experiences are private and this
privacy will be respected. You will never be required to share personal information that
you are not comfortable revealing to the Instructor or to your classmates unless you choose
to do so. Class courtesy is particularly important where strong and divergent positions are
held about a topic. If you feel that you are not being treated with respect, as to hinder your
future participation, share this with me immediately so that I may address the situation. I am
to create an open and safe environment in which we can discuss, explore, and learn
together.
Students with Disabilities:
Iowa State University is committed to assuring that all educational activities are free from
discrimination and harassment based on disability status. All students requesting
accommodations are required to meet with staff in Student Disability Resources (SDR) to
establish eligibility. A Student Academic Accommodation Request (SAAR) form will be
provided to eligible students. The provision of reasonable accommodations in this course will
be arranged after timely delivery of the SAAR form to the instructor. Students are
encouraged to deliver completed SAAR forms as early in the semester as possible. SDR, a
unit in the Dean of Students Office, is located in room 1076, Student Services Building or
online at www.dso.iastate.edu/dr/. Contact SDR by e-mail at disabilityresources@iastate.edu
or by phone at 515-294-7220 for additional information.
Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism:
The Iowa State University Academic Dishonesty Policy is listed on page 18 of the ISU Student
Handbook. Any class member who is found to have engaged in academic dishonesty or
plagiarism in this course receives a zero for the assignment and may possibly receive an F for
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the course. In addition, ISU formal procedures will be followed. Academic dishonesty will not
be tolerated in this virtual classroom. Please read the ISU Academic Dishonesty Policy:
http://www.dso.iastate.edu/ja/academic/misconduct.html. The ISU library has a helpful
website for learning best practices to avoid plagiarism:
http://instr.iastate.libguides.com/content.php?pid=10314.
Harassment & Discrimination:
Iowa State University strives to maintain our campus as a place of work and study for faculty,
staff, and students that is free of all forms of prohibited discrimination and harassment based
upon race, ethnicity, sex (including sexual assault), pregnancy, color, religion, national origin,
physical or mental disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic
information, or status as a U.S. veteran. Any student who has concerns about such behavior
should contact his/her instructor, Student Assistance at 515-294-1020 or email
dso-sas@iastate.edu, or the Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance at 515-294-7612.
Religious Accommodations:
If an academic or work requirement conflicts with your religious practices and/or
observances, you may request reasonable accommodations. Please contact me as soon as
possible or as soon as you become aware of your need. You or your instructor may also
seek assistance from the Dean of Students Office or the Office of Equal Opportunity and
Compliance.
Dead Week:
This class follows the Iowa State University Dead Week policy as noted in section 10.6.4 of
the Faculty Handbook http://www.provost.iastate.edu/resources/faculty-handbook.
Contact Information:
If you are experiencing, or have experienced, a problem with any of the above issues, email
academicissues@iastate.edu.
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CLASS LOGISTICS
Students will be responsible for working through 8 units designed to meet student learning
outcomes. The amount of time that should be spent on this course is equivalent to any other
3 credit 300-level course delivered in a face-to-face format. Please keep this in mind when
scheduling time to work on coursework. Generally you will have 16 days to work through and
complete each unit. Class deadlines will be on Tuesdays at 5pm Central Standard Time.
Specific due dates can be found on the course schedule.
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1.
LEARNING UNIT COMPONENTS
Syllabus Quiz (10 questions @ 0.5 points each; 5 points total)
To start the semester, there will be a syllabus quiz that will consist of true/false and
multiple choice questions. This quiz will be available under the Syllabus link in Blackboard.
Students will have 1 attempt to complete this quiz and will have 20 minutes to
answer the 10 questions. This quiz can also be thought of as practice to prepare for
the similar online format of the Unit Exams.
2.
Unit Lecture Slides, Notes, & Supplemental Material
This is an online course thus there are no traditional lectures that take place. Assigned
readings, lecture slides, notes, videos, websites, and/or other supplemental material may
be utilized in each of the 8 Units. It is important that you thoroughly read this material in
order to be successful and enhance your understanding of the course content. In
addition, any or all of these materials may appear on the unit exams.
3.
Unit Exams (8 @ 20 points each; 160 points total)
Eight unit exams (1 exam per unit) will be available in Blackboard and will be
administered as outlined in the course schedule. Each exam will consist of true/false,
multiple choice questions, and occasionally matching questions. Exams are open book and
open note and will cover any or all material presented in the text and posted materials
(e.g. note pages) for each unit. Exams will be timed and programmed to automatically
submit after 40 minutes (to answer 20 questions). Thus, it is imperative that you
complete all of the readings before completing your exams, because you will not have
time to look up every answer. Students will have 2 attempts to complete the exam and
your highest score will be recorded. Since you are given two attempts, I will not restart or
reset an exam unless a university default occurred in Blackboard Learn (I will receive an
official notification and then make an announcement regarding any problems). If you
have an issue during a quiz (such as lost internet connection, computer froze, lost power,
internet is down, accidentally logged out of Blackboard, etc), I will consider that as an
attempt. You only have 2 attempts so please plan accordingly.
4.
Unit Reflection Entries (8 @ 20 points each; 160 points total)
Eight unit reflection entries (1 individual unit reflection per unit) will be used as a means
to demonstrate your deeper thinking and reflections regarding each class topic as outlined
in the course schedule. Reflection entries will vary in nature. Some may require you to
upload your responses as a word document and others may require your participation in a
discussion board. Specific instructions will be provided in each unit. Responses should
exhibit college-level writing, free of grammatical and spelling errors, and are to be very
thoughtful and substantive in nature.
5.
Critical Thinking Assignment (20 points total)
One critical thinking assignment must be completed to demonstrate your expansion of
critical thinking skills and application of the course material. Later in the semester, there
will be a rubric and directions for completing this assignment posted under the
assignment link in Blackboard. This critical thinking assignment must be submitted via
Blackboard by attaching a word document.
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Course Evaluation
Itemized Points
Syllabus Quiz
5 points
Unit Exams
160 points
Unit Reflections
160 points
Critical Thinking Assignment 20 points
TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE 345 points
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC
CD+
D
DF
Percentages
92% or above
90 – 91%
88 – 89%
84 – 87%
80 – 83%
74 – 77%
70 – 73%
68 – 69%
64 – 67%
60 – 63%
59% and below
Late Work:
a. Do not wait until the last minute to complete exams or assignments. Consider submitting
assigned work earlier than the deadlines so that you will have time to solve any problems
that may arise.
b. Exam due dates and times are FIRM. There are no make-up Exams allowed without prior
permission from the instructor for a legitimate “excused absence” (see University
Identified Emergencies below).
c. Late Assignments will automatically docked 2 points per day that it is late past the
Tuesday 5:00 pm Central Standard Time deadline.
University Identified Emergencies:
Written documentation must be provided for legitimate missed work (e.g. medical
emergencies, surgery, funeral, other family emergencies, etc). Students will be worked with
on an individual basis to complete make-up coursework. This must be discussed with the
instructor prior to any anticipated absences. Without prior approval, missed exams will not be
allowed to be made up. No points will be docked on Assignments for those students who
received prior permission from the instructor for a legitimate “excused absence”.
Each student will be responsible for keeping track of their individual grade:
Scores will be posted under the “My Grades” tab in Blackboard. It is up to the student to
ensure the accuracy of the calculations and inform the instructor of any discrepancies within
48 hours of the scores being posted. It is also the student’s responsibility to keep a copy of
their assignments. Please do not wait until the end of the course to discuss scores.
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Course Schedule: Spring 2015
Dates
Week 1
1/12 – 1/16
Week 2
1/19 – 1/23
Week 3
1/26 – 1/30
Week 4
2/2 – 2/6
***Schedule is tentative and subject to change***
Readings
Assignments
Deadlines
Unit 1: Introduction; Definitions; Family Abuse Theories
Introduction/Syllabus
 Syllabus Quiz
Syllabus Quiz Due:
Hines: Chapter 1
 Unit 1 Reflection
1/27/15 @ 5pm
 Unit 1 Exam
Unit 1 Due:
1/27/15 @ 5pm
Unit 2: Child Physical Abuse
Hines: Chapter 4
 Unit 2 Reflection
 Unit 2 Exam
Unit 2 Due:
2/10/15 @ 5pm
Unit 3: Child Sexual Abuse
Week 5
Hines: Chapter 5
 Unit 3 Reflection
2/9 – 2/13
 Unit 3 Exam
Unit 3 Due:
Week 6
2/24/15 @ 5pm
2/16 – 2/20
Unit 4: Child Neglect; Psychological Maltreatment; Child Abuse Prevention
Week 7
Hines: Chapter 6
 Unit 4 Reflection
2/23 – 2/27
Hines: Chp. 12
 Unit 4 Exam
Unit 4 Due:
Week 8
(pp. 289-302)
3/10/15 @ 5pm
3/2 – 3/6
Unit 5: Intimate Partner Abuse
Week 9
Hines: Chapter 7
 Unit 5 Reflection
Unit 5 Due:
3/9 – 3/13
Hines: Chapter 8
 Unit 5 Exam
3/24/15 @ 5pm
Week 10
3/16 – 3/20
Spring Break
Unit 6: Abuse in LGBT Relationships; Partner Abuse Prevention
Hines: Chapter 9
 Unit 6 Reflection
Hines: Chp. 12
 Unit 6 Exam
Unit 6 Due:
(pp. 302-313)
4/7/15 @ 5pm
 Critical Thinking
Week 12
Assignment
Critical Thinking Assignment
3/30 – 4/3
Due 4/7/15 @ 5pm
Week 11
3/23 – 3/27
Week 13
4/6 – 4/10
Week 14
4/13 – 4/17
Week 15
4/20 – 4/24
Week 16
4/27 – 5/1
Week 17
5/4 – 5/8
Unit 7: Sibling Abuse; Parent Abuse; Persons with Disabilities
Hines: Chapter 11
 Unit 7 Reflection
Unit 7 Due:
 Unit 7 Exam
4/21/15 @ 5pm
Unit 8: Elder Abuse; Cultural Contexts
Hines: Chapter 10
 Unit 8 Reflection
Hines: Chapter 2
 Unit 8 Exam
Unit 8 Due:
5/5/15 @ 5pm
Finals Week
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Individual Student’s Personal Grade Tracking Sheet
Syllabus Quiz (5 pts total)
Syllabus Quiz ____________
Exams (8 @ 20 pts each; 160 pts total)
Unit
Unit
Unit
Unit
Unit
Unit
Unit
Unit
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Exam
Exam
Exam
Exam
Exam
Exam
Exam
Exam
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
Unit Reflection Entries
(8 @ 20 pts each; 160 pts total)
Unit
Unit
Unit
Unit
Unit
Unit
Unit
Unit
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Reflection
Reflection
Reflection
Reflection
Reflection
Reflection
Reflection
Reflection
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
Critical Thinking Assignment (20 points total) _______________
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