ECP703 - Child Protection
Unit details
| Year | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Online, Community Based Delivery (CBD)* |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 1: Nicole Downes |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | ECE360 |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 3-hour on-campus seminar per non-placement teaching weeks |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 1.5-hour online seminar per non-placement teaching weeks |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Content
In this unit, students will be introduced to relevant child safety legislation, policies and practices, with children's rights and professional ethics forming a conceptual framework. Attachment theory, ecological systems theory and psychoanalytic theory inform the unit content and learning experiences which have been designed to prepare pre-service teachers (and allied professionals) for their statutory obligations in preventing, identifying, responding to and reporting suspected child abuse. Understanding issues of heightened vulnerability and the contexts in which child maltreatment occurs will be developed throughout the unit. Trauma-responsive education will be a key feature that informs teaching practices to support the learning and wellbeing of all children, particularly those who have experienced child maltreatment and/or adversity.
Students will be encouraged to apply their developing knowledge and skills in a variety of practical ways, such as designing a child safe policy, incorporating personal safety education in the curriculum, forging community connections and responding to readings and child maltreatment scenarios. These learning experiences support unit assessment work and ultimately strengthen the confidence and capacity needed to create and maintain safe learning environments and responsive interactions that focus on the overall health and wellbeing of children and teachers.
Learning outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Critically analyse and apply knowledge of children’s rights and legal/ethical professional obligations to create effective child safe policies and practices that will keep children safe in educational settings and support the learning and wellbeing of children. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO2 | Identify and analyse the causes of and contexts (including factors which contribute to issues of heightened vulnerability) in which child maltreatment occurs, and the short- and long-term effects of child maltreatment on children, including advanced knowledge of the nature of trauma. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO3 | Apply knowledge to accurately identify instances of child maltreatment | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving |
| ULO4 | Apply knowledge of the nature of trauma and the impact of childhood trauma on behaviour, relationships and learning to outline the benefits of trauma responsive education, using examples of effective teaching practices and strategies that support children who have experienced trauma. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving |
| ULO5 | Analyse and evaluate child safety literature to devise appropriate | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving |
| ULO6 | Apply a range of digital literacy skills to engage with and respond to online | GLO3: Digital literacy GLO6: Self-management |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Child Safe Policy | 2000 words | 40% | Week 5 |
| Assessment 2: Report: Response to Case Study Scenario | 2000 words | 40% | Week 10 |
| Assessment 3: Online Response to Readings | 1000 words | 20% | Week 11 |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for ECP703 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list.
Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.