sILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY
INSTRUCTOR:
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
OFFICE:
SEMESTER:
Spring 2016
OFFICE HOURS
COURSE:
SWK 330 sec 2
OFFICE PHONE:
DAY:
Friday
EMAIL:
hrpacha@ilstu.edu
TIME:
10:00 - 12:50 PM
LOCATION:
Fairchild Hall 301
By Appointment
TOPICS in CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL WORK and SOCIAL WELFARE: SEXUAL
ASSAULT CRISIS INTERVENTION
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Course examines the skills necessary to provide crisis intervention in various settings to adult
and child survivors of sexual violence, and offers a background of information on sexual
violence and the rape crisis movement. Successful completion of the course qualifies the student
to receive certification by a State-approved agency such as YWCA McLean County Stepping
Stones.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. The student will be able to identify rape culture in the US, the cultural forces that devalue
women, and its impact on society.
2. The student will be able to debunk the myths which exist within the rape culture.
3. The student will be able to cite facts and statistics related to the relevance of specific types
of sexual violence.
4. The student will be able to distinguish between the victim-centered philosophy of services
and the medical/social service models of intervention.
5. The student will be able to identify the cultural forces of oppression and understand ways to
integrate anti-oppression strategies into daily practice.
6. The student will be able to practice and demonstrate victim-centered skills related to the
provision of crisis intervention services to survivors of sexual assault.
REQUIRED TEXT:
Richards, T.N. & Marcum, C.D. (2015) Sexual Victimization: Then and Now. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage.
EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS
Attendance and Participation: Students are expected to attend and participate in all class
sessions. A student should not be enrolled in a course if other obligations will interfere with
getting to class sessions regularly and punctually. More than two absences will result in a
lowered grade. Repeated tardiness or leaving class early also will result in a lowered grade. If a
student misses a class, he or she will be responsible for any missed class content. Missed in-class
work or points generally cannot be made up.
Students who experience the death of an immediate family member or relative as defined in the
University Student Bereavement Policy will be excused from class for funeral leave, subsequent
bereavement, and/or travel considerations. Students are responsible for providing appropriate
documentation to the Dean of Students office and for contacting the instructor as soon as
possible to make arrangements for completing missed work. More information is available in
the Student Bereavement Policy at http://www.policy.illinoisstate.edu/2-1-27.shtml
This class is designed to be highly interactive, participation in class discussions and course
activities is mandatory. Students will learn as much from each other’s questions, ideas, and
personal examples as they do from the instructor. Any absence or lack of participation represents
the loss of your contribution to the success of the class, thus negatively impact your final grade
(see participation guidelines/ rubric). Participation include conferring your critical analysis of
weekly readings, themes, etc. as well as reflections or insights (see “CLASS PREPARATION”).
Informed disagreement is both anticipated and welcomed. Difference in values, opinions, and
ideas with other class participants (including the instructor) should be respected.
Class Preparation: You are expected to have prepared thoroughly for each session. Preparation
include reading and/or watching the assigned materials prior to class (see “COURSE
SCHEDULE”), summarizing the content and being prepared to discuss personal/professional
reactions to the material; and making connections between concepts in current readings and
earlier readings.
Students are strongly encouraged to read other related materials, make notes on readings and
visual material, prepare study questions based on readings, case material, and instructor
presentation/lecture materials; discuss readings and class lecture material with other students,
form study groups, explain concepts to others, and schedule consultation time with the instructor
as needed.
Nondiscriminatory language: Class discussions, oral presentations, and written work should be
language sensitive with non-sexist, non-racist, and non-stigmatizing terminology.
Academic Misconduct: Plagiarism, cheating, and all other forms of academic misconduct are
not only considered a violation of university regulations, but are also considered a serious breach
of the ethical code of conduct for the social work profession. Students are expected to remember
that they are in the process of becoming professional social workers. As such, they are expected
to abide by the ethical standards of the profession. The National Association of Social Workers
(NASW) Code of Ethics is available to students on the Internet at
http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp
Special Needs: Students with special needs should notify the instructor immediately so that
available accommodations can be made. Any student needing to arrange a reasonable
accommodation for a documented disability should contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall,
438-5853 (voice), 438-8620 (TTY) or http://www.disabilityconcerns.ilstu.edu/.
Electronics: All cell phones (unless the student has a documented need for assistive technology)
should be turned off during class. Students should check with individual professors about the use
of a laptop in class.
Assignments: Promptness in completing class assignments and readings is a requirement.
All assignments are due on the date assigned (See “ASSIGNMENTS” and “COURSE
SCHEDULE”). Late or emailed assignments will NOT be accepted; however students are
permitted to turn assignments in early.
Written Work: Written work should show thoroughness, accuracy, clarity and professionalism.
Such writing generally requires first writing, then review, then editing and rewriting.
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All work should be carefully proofread and corrected. Papers should be free of errors in
spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
All work must be typed, double-spaced, with numbered pages. Each assignment should be
titled, dated, annotated with your name, and stapled or placed in a binder.
Papers should use standard margins: 1” top, 1” bottom, and 1” each left and right. The header
and footer default setting is 0.5” from the edge.
Papers should use the department standard font: Times New Roman 12 point.
Students should retain copies of all work turned in to the instructor.
All papers written from sources must include citations following the style requirements of
the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed., 2010). This
reference text also provides excellent information on the organization and writing of papers.
Excellent resources for questions about APA format and other paper writing skills are:
 Purdue University on-line writing laboratory http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
 ISU Free Help for Your Papers: The Julia N. Visor Academic Center, a division of
University College, provides free one-on-one writing assistance for any course. Students
can receive help with brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising, citations, and grammar.
www.ucollege.IllinoisState.edu/tutoring/writing
ASSIGNMENTS:
Assignment #1: Weekly reaction papers.
Students will complete weekly reaction papers of 1-2 pages on a topic identified each week.
Assignment #2: Famous Case Flip (Grad students will add Best- Practices paper)
Students will identify a famous sexual assault case that has been in the media and write a 2-3
page paper arguing all the reasons, according to rape culture, why the victim(s) in the case was
lying/not raped/at fault.
Once these papers are complete, students will switch papers between classmates where the
student will be required to provide a rebuttal paper. The rebuttal paper will need to be 5-6 pages
in length and include statistics, research and references to argue in opposition of their peer's
original paper, ultimately against the accusations of false reporting and victim blaming within the
context of rape culture. Grad students will be required to add best practices in working with the
victim(s) in the case. An additional 5-6 pages will be required.
Assignment #3: Behavioral demonstration simulation video
Students will be asked to submit two recorded role play assignments. Each role play will need to
be at least 30-45 minutes in length. Role plays, with suggested scenarios, will be given to the
student who is acting as the victim. The other student who will be acting as the professional will
not receive the role play with scenarios ahead of time. They will need to use the skills learned in
class to provide acute and non-acute crisis intervention.
Assignment #4: Case analysis assignment
Students will complete a victim-centered case analysis on a victim of sexual assault. Using what
they have learned throughout the semester and course content, students will need to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
identify challenges the client has;
what the potential medical/legal/other advocacy needs of the client are;
assess what resources are available to the client;
what victim rights and laws have been violated or are applicable to the client and;
classify what, if any, identifiable phase of Rape Trauma Syndrome the client is in and
how they will use the feminist based approach to providing therapy
The case analysis will need to be 6-10 pages in length.
TOTAL POINTS:
Reaction Papers: 10 pts. each
Assignment #2:
Part one: 20 pts.
Part two: 50 pts.
Assignment #3: 50 pts. each
Assignment #4: 100 pts.
TOTAL: 350 pts.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
Week 1 (1/15/16): Introduction to course, materials, and assignments
Introduction to Feminism and history of anti-rape movement
Week 2 (1/22/16): Political and Social Environment
Rape myths
Rape culture
Social media
Week 3 (1/29/16): Privilege and oppression
Week 4 (2/5/16): Overview of forms of sexual assault:
Sexual harassment, pornography, trafficking, online victimization
Chapters 4 Sexual Harassment
Chapter 8 Sexual Victimization Online
Chapter 12 Trafficking
Week 5 (2/12/16): Sexual assault in specific populations: within intimate partner relationships
Chapter 5 Sexual Victimization Among Intimates
Chapter 7 Fine line Between Statutory and consensual Relationships
Week 6 (2/19/16): Sexual assault in specific populations: College campuses and Military
Chapters 6 Sexual Victimization on College Campuses
Chapter 11 Sexual Victimization in the U.S. Military
Week 7 (2/26/16): Sexual assault in specific populations: the Vulnerable and LGBTQ
Chapter 9 Victimization of the Vulnerable (children, elderly, inmates, people with
disabilities)
Chapter 10 Same Sex victimization and the LGBTQ community
Week 8 (3/4/16): Ethics of intervention with Sexual assault services
Victim Centered Services, Cultural Humility, Mandated reporting (elder), confidentiality
and privilege communication, VESSA, Safe Homes Act
SPRING BREAK (3/11/16)
Week 9 (3/18/16): Crisis Intervention with Adults
Trauma response
Rape trauma syndrome
Active listening skills
Crisis intervention skills
Victim-centered services
Working with significant others
Week 10 (3/25/16): Crisis Intervention with Adults
Trauma response
Rape trauma syndrome
Active listening skills
Crisis intervention strategies
Victim-centered services
Working with significant others
Week 11 (4/1/16): Crisis intervention with children and Adolescents
Adultism
Overview of child development
Trauma response in children/adolescents
Crisis intervention strategies
Week 12 (4/8/16): Crisis intervention with children and Adolescents
Overview of child development
Trauma response in children/adolescents
Crisis intervention strategies
Mandated Reporting (child)
Week 13 (4/15/16): Medical Advocacy
Advocacy principals
Role of an advocate
Emergency room procedures
Evidence collection
SANE nurses
Consent by minors
Sexually transmitted infections
Emergency contraception
Sexual Assault Survivor’s Emergency Treatment Act
Drugs facilitating rape
Week 14 (4/22/16): Advocacy with Law Enforcement, Legal system, and Sexual Assault
Centers
Definitions of SA and State variations Chapter 1 &2
Criminal justice process
Roles of law enforcement
Roles of court personnel
Sexual assault laws
Sexual assault statutes
Week 15 (4/29/16): Self-Care, vicarious trauma, activism and education
Class during finals week TBA
Assign. #4 DUE: May 2nd
SWK 330 OUTLINE
Date
In Class
Hmw
Jan. 15th
Intro: Feminism & Anti-Rape
Movement
Reaction Paper 1
Going into this class, what do
you feel is your level of
understanding on sexual
assault (what it is and
who/what causes it)? What are
you most excited to learn from
this class?
Jan. 22nd
Political and Social
Environment
Reaction Paper 2
Have a discussion with
someone on rape culture. How
did it go? Surprises?
Frustrations? Did you get
stuck in the conversation at all;
if so how? How did it end?
Overall feel of the discussion?
Reaction Paper #1 DUE
Jan. 29th
Privilege & Oppression
Reaction Paper #2 DUE
Feb.
5th
Overview: Forms of Sexual
Assault
First Part of Assign. #2 DUE
AND
Reaction Paper #3 DUE
Reaction Paper 3
Describe how the various
forms of oppression are
related. Why do sexual assault
workers need to understand
oppression?
Read Chpts: 4,8,12
Reaction Paper 4
Chpt 4: What role does rape
culture play in sexual
harassment?
Chpt 8: Should individuals be
punished differently based on
the types of material they
possess and the harm these
materials cause the victim?
Chpt 12: Which position
would you take on prostitution
(complete criminalization;
partial decriminalization;
complete decriminalization;
legalization) and why?
Read Chpts: 5 & 7
Feb. 12th
Intimate Partner Violence;
Statutory & Consensual
Relationships
Reaction Paper #4 DUE
Feb.
19th
Victimization: College
Campuses & Military
Reaction Paper #5 DUE
Reaction Paper 5
Chpt 5: What are some reasons
a victim may have for not
reporting intimate partner
violence? What are some
barriers they might face if they
did want to report?
Chpt 7: Do you think age is the
most important consideration
in determining the risk
associated with adolescent
sexual relationships? Should
other factors be considered in
addition?
Read Chpts: 6 & 11
Reaction Paper 6
Chpt 6: Why do you think the
number of victims who report
sexual assault or victimization
on college campuses is so low?
What are some steps colleges
or universities could take to
change this?
Chpt 11: How does the
military handle sexual assault/
victimization? Do you think
the military judicial system is
better or worse in handling
these cases than the civilian
judicial system? Why or why
not?
Read Chpts: 9 & 10
Feb. 26th
Victimization: Vulnerable &
LGBTQ
Reaction Paper 7
Chpt 9: What populations are
vulnerable and why? How do
power differentials affect the
Reaction Paper #6 DUE
ability to consent in sexual
AND
Second Part of Assign. #2 DUE relationships for these
vulnerable populations?
Chpt 10: How did past rape
legislation limit the
prosecution of offenders of
same- sex sexual
victimization? What
psychological and emotional
conflicts do males who have
been victims experience and
how may this influence their
decision to report?
March 4th
Sexual Assault Services
Reaction Paper #7 DUE
SPRING BREAK
March 18th
Crisis Intervention with Adults
March 25th
Crisis Intervention with Adults
April 1st
Crisis Intervention with
Children & Adolescents
Assign. #3 Role Play with
Adults DUE
Crisis Intervention with
Children & Adolescents
Medical Advocacy
Assign. #3 Role Play with
Children/ Ad. DUE
Advocacy with Law
Enforcement, Legal Systems
and Sexual Assault Centers
April 8th
April 15th
April 22nd
April 29th
FINALS WEEK
Self Care
Various Trauma
Activism & Education
Reaction Paper #8 DUE
TBA
Assign. #4 DUE: May 2nd
Read Chpts 1 & 2
Reaction Paper 8
Chpt 1: What legal definition
of rape do you think is most
useful? In your opinion, should
all states adopt the same
definition? If so, which one,
and why?
Chpt 2: Overall do you think
rape reforms have had a more
instrumental or symbolic
impact and why?