It is mandatory that all social work programs accredited by the Australian Association of Social Work include domestic and family violence competencies (Lattas & Davis, 2023). However, this content is largely taught from a theoretical perspective. Schaffer et al. (2024) quantitatively surveyed 193 social work students or new social work graduates about their preparedness to recognise and respond to DFV. The findings revealed gaps in social workers’ preparedness to recognise warning signs of DFV and the systemic reasons for remaining in DFV relationships. The study participants overwhelmingly self-reported requiring further training to support their preparedness to respond to DFV. This is of concern to the discipline and the broader public who look to social work roles to support victim/survivors.

The use of virtual simulations in social work learning and teaching is an emerging strategy to provide students with standardised opportunities to apply their knowledge and problem-solving skills in practice. This project seeks to improve student comprehension of domestic and family violence issues in WIL placements. As all students may not have this opportunity through an agency-based placement opportunity, this project proposes to use a web-based asynchronous simulation-based activity as WIL to scaffold and enhance participants’ experience, ensuring that all students will incorporate this knowledge and experience into their future careers.