Understanding Abuse

Understanding abuse is about recognising abuse as a violation of a person's human rights. A focus on what makes life good for each person is the best way to enable rights and minimise the risk of abuse. It is also about knowing what signs to be aware of that abuse is happening or has taken place.
Online Human Rights Training
Human Rights and You
Human Rights and You is a national video-based e-learning program for disability support workers, families and practitioners about why human rights matter when supporting people with disability.
This short and interactive program takes around 30-minutes to complete.
Human Rights and You explores values, strategies and examples relating to the four modules:
- What are human rights?
- Rights and responsibilities
- When rights go wrong
- Asking for help
There are two options for accessing the Human Rights and You e-learning program
- Individual access: Free via registration on the Learner Management System which includes a Completion Certificate
- Organisation access: $760 plus GST to purchase the NDS Zero Tolerance suite of tools and resources to host on your own Learner Management System
Watch this short animation to learn more about Human Rights.
- 'What Are Human Rights' animation (English with English Captions)
- 'What are Human Rights' animation (English with Cantonese captions)
- 'What are Human Rights' animation (English with Greek captions)
- 'What are Human Rights' animation (English with Korean captions)
- 'What are Human Rights' animation (English with Mandarin captions)
- 'What are Human Rights' animation (English with Turkish captions)
- 'What are Human Rights' animation (English with Vietnamese captions)
- 'What are Human Rights' animation (English with Arabic captions)
- 'What are Human Rights' animation (English with Italian captions)
Understanding Abuse
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‘Understanding Abuse’ e-learning programUnderstanding abuse is about recognising abuse as a violation of a person's human rights. A focus on what makes life good for each person is the best way to enable rights and minimise risk of abuse. It is also about knowing what signs to be aware of that abuse is happening or has taken place. There are two options for accessing the Understanding Abuse e-learning modules
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‘Understanding Abuse’ Learning BitesThe ‘Understanding Abuse’ Learning Bites are 3-5 minute videos addressing eight life areas. They can be used to promote discussion and personal reflection by support workers. Each Learning Bite has a printable worksheet to be completed and signed off by the supervisor. “I really benefited from the videos, and being able to hear what others saw in the scenarios.” Access the Learning Bites here: |
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‘Understanding Abuse’ downloadable worksheetsThese easy-to-use worksheets promote reflection, team discussion and action through simple personal and team exercises. Includes checklists to help support workers to recognise instances of good, poor and abusive practice, and to take action. Download the Learning Bite worksheets here (PDF 1.72MB, WORD 135KB) |
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‘Understanding Abuse’ Guide for SupervisorsProvides useful information for supervisors to use ‘Understanding Abuse’ with staff. Offers additional training information, scenarios and links to other relevant training and resources. Download the Guide for Supervisors here (PDF 1.20MB, WORD 4.20MB) |
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‘Empowerment Circle’ diagramThe Empowerment Circle can be used to help you think about how people can be more empowered in all areas of their lives, and to recognise poor or neglectful practice, abuse and crime. |
Links to other useful resources:
- Rights Under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD) video from Disability Advocacy Resource Unit (DARU)
- United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD): Easy Read Version and Child Friendly Version
National Disability Services would like to acknowledge the funding from the Victorian Government which allowed these resources to be developed.
For any enquiries on Zero Tolerance, please contact: Mary Lou McPherson, National Practice Lead - Zero Tolerance Initiative, (03) 8341 4300, submit enquiry/feedback
Copyright permissions
NDS grants permission for users to copy, distribute, display, download and otherwise freely deal with Zero Tolerance resources for any personal or organisational purpose, on condition that proper acknowledgment is included on all uses. Any use of zero Tolerance resources for commercial gain is strictly prohibited.