Know Domestic Abuse course
In the introduction to the Anglican Diocese of Sydney Responding to Domestic Abuse: Policy and Good Practice Guidelines, former Archbishop Glenn Davies, reminds us that
“The effects of sin are ever present, and … we are concerned for those relationships where domestic abuse is present. We wish to address this issue honestly and transparently; we also wish to extend our care and compassion to those who suffer domestic abuse.”
This training course endeavours to assist participants, particularly those who are leaders in churches, to understand how to address the issue of domestic abuse and how to compassionately care for those who are experiencing it.
Purpose of this course:
This course is designed to educate those in church leadership roles on how to identify and respond to the patterns and dynamics of domestic abuse (also known as domestic violence).
This course will not make participants an expert in the field of domestic abuse, so it is important to be mindful of the limits of your expertise after completing this training. However, it aims to equip you with resources to respond well to indicators or disclosures of domestic abuse, and identify when and how to refer to professionals.
Who should do this course:
This training has been written for ministry staff (clergy and authorised lay ministers), and others in leadership roles in their local church that may bring them into contact with instances of domestic abuse.
Where possible, we recommend that ministry teams complete the training together/at the same time to be able to discuss the topics and your church’s response.
For face-to-face training for church congregations on the topic of domestic abuse, contact Anglicare’s Family & Domestic Violence Advisor on dvadvisor@anglicare.org.au
How long will it take to do the course?
This depends on a couple of factors: how fast you read and take in information and how much of the optional reading you choose to do. A minimum of 4-5 hours is a reasonable expectation.
Don’t forget that you can come and go in the course as you wish, breaking it down into manageable sections.
Sydney Diocese Training
This training has been written for leaders serving in Anglican churches in the Sydney Diocese.
If you are accessing the Know Domestic Abuse course from outside the Sydney Diocese, please be aware that sections of the course relate specifically to the Sydney Diocesan Domestic Abuse Policy and Good Practice Guidelines. Content on “domestic abuse” should be applicable to any location.
Wherever possible, support services listed are NSW State based and are accessible either by 1800 numbers or via local service partners in your area.
Recommended program for youth
Before It Starts is a four-week youth group program (separate to the KNOW Domestic Abuse course) that focuses on building healthy relationships and preventing domestic abuse. It has been developed by Anglicare and Youthworks, with the goal of promoting safe and respectful relationships in our churches.
After completing the KNOW Domestic Abuse course we would encourage leaders to consider using Before It Starts with their youth group so that young people can also be made aware of and help stop domestic abuse before it starts.
Accessing this course:
Even though there is no charge for this course, you will need to proceed through a checkout process as part of enrolling. Once you have gone through the checkout process, you should be directed to your My Dashboard page where you can begin your course.
To access this course, you will need to have created an account on this site and be logged in.
If you cannot see the ‘Access course’ button below, please create an account and/or log in, then return to this page.
If you experience any problems with this process, please raise a support ticket.