My format for training is to combine lecture with activities. This often prompts questions. After we have reviewed information on indicators of abuse and neglect, I have participants work in small groups of 4-5 in which they read and discuss case examples, looking for indicators of abuse or neglect. After we have reviewed information on talking to a child about indicators, I ask them to review a case scenario again and brainstorm questions they would ask or statements they would make in this situation. I often use props and role-play when reviewing information on the roles of children in dysfunctional families.
Participants really find it enlightening and valuable.
It introduces six families who struggle with the issues of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. It presents testimony from child victims as well as adult perpetrators. I often use personal experiences of my own casework as examples. I assess the effectiveness of my work through verbal feedback and a simple written evaluation. I then ask them to tell me what they liked and what they would change.