Courses
Admissions & Support
Reflecting on and Responding to Domestic Abuse and Coercive Control (Certificate, L6, 10 ECTS)
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Status: Register Your Interest for September 2025
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Campus: Online
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weeks: 10
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Fees: €850* – Indicative course fee for 2025
Course Overview
Domestic abuse and coercive control are pervasive societal problems affecting people from all cultural, educational, religious, gender and socioeconomic backgrounds. The course will provide students with information to enable them to reflect on and respond to domestic abuse and coercive control.
The course will provide students with:
- An understanding of theories, concepts, myths and dynamics in relation to domestic abuse and coercive control.
- The knowledge and skills to respond appropriately to victims, understand barriers to seeking help, identify appropriate multi-disciplinary collaboration and the importance of self-care.
- Opportunities to reflect on their understanding of national and international intervention and prevention strategies as the course progresses.
The course will use real life case studies to examine the barriers to help-seeking and disclosure, victim engagement, victim safety, risk assessment, perpetrator accountability, effective interagency practice and prevention strategies.
Who is the course suitable for?
The course will be of interest to personnel in frontline services that deal with domestic abuse, and anyone whose work or volunteering will bring them into contact with victims or perpetrators of domestic abuse and coercive control.
Please note that this course is not suitable for people currently:
- experiencing domestic, sexual, gender-based abuse
- attending support services for victims or perpetrators of domestic, sexual, gender-based abuse
- involved in court proceedings regarding domestic, sexual, gender-based abuse
If you are interested in an online programme for victims of domestic abuse SiSi (Survivors Informing Services and Institutions) run the Freedom Programme
Support groups and helplines for victims of domestic abuse:
Women’s Aid (female victims) – National helpline: 1800 341 900
Rape Crisis – National Helpline: 1800 77 8888
Male Advice Line (male victims) National Helpline: 1800 816 588
LGBT Ireland – National Helpline: 1800 929 539
Contact Details
What are the entry requirements?
Applicants must hold Leaving Certificate. Recognition of relevant prior work or volunteer experience will be taken into account.
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Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) – Assessment
Please review the academic entry requirements for this programme.
If you do not hold these qualifications but would like your application to be assessed under RPL please select YES on the online application form.
Once you have submitted your online application you will then receive an email acknowledgement with further instructions on RPL.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE: Applicants who do not have English as their first language must ensure they satisfy English Language requirements. For entry to undergraduate courses, a score of 5.5 in an IELTS or equivalent exam is required. For postgraduate courses, a score of 6.0 in an IELTS or equivalent exam is required. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure their English proficiency meets these requirements.
Course Content
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Reflecting on Domestic Abuse and Coercive Control
This module provides an in-depth understanding of the theories, concepts, dynamics and impact of domestic abuse and coercive control. This module will encourage students to reflect on their understanding of the issues, to examine their beliefs and attitudes on the topic and to incorporate new information.
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Responding to Domestic Abuse and Coercive Control
This modules builds on the learning in module one and explores the practice application of the knowledge, covering best practice in intervention and responding. The course will use real life case studies to examine the barriers to help-seeking and disclosure, victim engagement, victim safety, risk assessment, perpetrator accountability, effective interagency practice and prevention strategies. The course will provide an in-depth analysis of coercive control, a pattern of behaviour that has been described as “domestic hostage-taking” and a criminal offence in Ireland since January 2019.
More Information
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The proposed delivery schedule is subject to change.
This programme will be delivered online over a period of 10 weeks one evening per week from 7-9pm & 1 hour pre-recorded, commencing September 2025. Start date TBC.
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Each 5 credits will normally equate to approximately 100 Total Learning Hours. Total Learning Hours includes the time you spend in class (lectures, tutorials, practical elements) and the time you spend completing work outside of college. The balance between these two varies by discipline, and by level of study. You should bear in mind that the workload will increase at particular times e.g. when assignments are due.
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Continuous assessment – there will be an assignment for each module.
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Certificate in Reflecting on and Responding to Domestic Abuse and Coercive Control (Special Purpose Award, Level 6, 10 Credits). Students must pass both modules to receive the certification
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€850* – Indicative course fee for 2025
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To be confirmed for September 2025 intake. Places are allocated on a first come first served basis. Course will be closed once the maximum number of applicants is reached. Courses run subject to viable numbers.