Protecting women and children from physical, sexual, and psychological abuse

Domestic violence is a serious public health problem. The "epidemic" is becoming too obvious to hide, too widespread to deny, and too much of a health hazard to ignore. The victims are children, women, the elderly, and the society as a whole. Family members, government, educational and penal agencies, civic and medical societies, physicians, and citizens at large are all involved in domestic violence prevention. By having a high index of suspicion, physicians are in an ideal position to prevent, assess, identify, and treat victims of domestic violence and its associated problems.     

Myocardial infarction and percent arteriographic stenosis of culprit lesion: report from the Program on the Surgical Control of the Hyperlipidemias (POSCH)

Domestic violence is a significant public health issue affecting women. Numerous medical organizations have recommended that routine screening of women be conducted to assist in the prevention, identification, and care for victims of violence. This article examines the scope of domestic violence in women, reviews ways to recognize abuse, examines the potential impact of abuse upon health and discusses the management of victims.     

Domestic violence: examining nurses' and doctors' management, attitudes and knowledge in an accident and emergency setting

Despite the increasing awareness of the important role that Accident and Emergency (A&E) personnel have in the diagnosis and management of domestic violence victims, there is limited knowledge about the nurses' or doctors' knowledge of or attitudes to domestic violence in Australian health care settings. In addition nursing and medical staff still receive very little training in working with domestic violence victims. This study was conducted to examine the existing knowledge, attitudes to and management strategies for domestic violence victims among 111 nurses and doctors in two rural and two country hospitals. The findings indicate that A&E staff recognise the importance of their role in the identification and management of domestic violence victims. Despite this they do not have all the skills necessary to deal effectively with the problem or to be able to access local resources for assistance. Education programs should focus on direct questioning techniques, and recognition of risk factors and protocols to provide guidelines for police involvement.     

A therapeutic jurisprudence approach to the legal processing of domestic violence cases.

Ample research indicates that the laws, policies, and legal actors involved in domestic violence cases can achieve iatrogenic or therapeutic effects on both offenders and victims. This article explores the ways in which the legal system reinforces maladaptive behavior by offenders and victims and how it can influence changes in such behavior through legal mechanisms. The therapeutic jurisprudence perspective is used to examine the psychology of offenders who commit domestic violence crimes in Part I. Part II explores the psychology of domestic violence victims. Part III covers the impact of the arrest and prosecution stages of the criminal justice system. Trials, plea bargains, and sentencing issues are explored in Part IV, and the use of restraining orders is explored in Part V. These issues and the therapeutic jurisprudence perspective can inform law reform efforts, criminal justice policy, and mental health policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Arthromyalgias and pulmonary nodules

Domestic violence is occurring in epidemic proportions in the United States. Recent surveys have shown there is a need for educational programs for health care professionals. This report presents the results of a domestic violence workshop developed to increase knowledge and improve attitudes and skills in working with victims of domestic violence. The results of the workshop, measured by preintervention and postintervention attitude, knowledge, and skills surveys, are promising. There was a significant improvement in knowledge, self-assessed skills, and attitudes after the workshop. Although the full magnitude of the changes was not sustained over time, there was still significant improvement after 6 months in knowledge and attitude. Rates of detection and documentation did not change. Future educational programs will need to address maintaining routine screening for domestic violence in the primary care setting and to highlight more clearly the role of health care professionals in the detection and treatment of domestic violence.     

Domestic violence: legal, practice, and educational issues

Domestic violence is a recognized and growing public health concern in the United States. Health care professionals have a duty to improve the identification of victims of domestic violence, intervene effectively, and advocate for better education to break the cycle of abuse.     

Desensitization and resensitization to violence against women: Effects of exposure to sexually violent films on judgments of domestic violence victims.

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of repeated exposure to sexually violent films on emotional desensitization and callousness toward domestic abuse victims. Results indicated that emotional response, self-reported physiological arousal, and ratings of the extent to which the films were sexually violent all diminished with repeated film exposure. Three days following exposure to the final film, experimental participants expressed significantly less sympathy for domestic violence victims, and rated their injuries as less severe, than did a no-exposure comparison group. Five days after the final film exposure, their level of sensitivity to the domestic violence victims had rebounded to baseline levels established by the comparison group. Emotional responsiveness at the final film exposure was correlated with levels of sensitivity to the domestic violence victims 3 days later but not at subsequent observation points. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Legal and psychological perspectives on same-sex domestic violence: A multisystemic approach.

This article presents the legal and psychological aspects of same-sex domestic violence (SSDV) in a multisystemic model that encompasses family systems, friends and the gay-lesbian-bisexual communities, legal systems, and mental and physical health systems, encouraging family psychologists to be the leaders of reform. The current status of relevant laws is integrated into the literature on SSDV, which includes prevalence, myths regarding SSDV, help-seeking behavior of victims, and similarities and differences between SSDV and opposite-sex domestic violence. Recommendations for change in all of the overlapping systems and in the public policies of the larger society are included. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

TAL1 expression does not occur in the majority of T-ALL blasts

Research on the current epidemic of violence and its victims is limited. In the past decade, considerable attention has been focused in the area of domestic violence. Comprehensive emergency department (ED) domestic violence protocols have been developed and evaluated that address identification, treatment, safety issues, legal reporting statutes, and medical and psychosocial interventions. This article focuses on victims, perpetrators, and the occurrence of violence in the ED and describes issues and strategies for identification, intervention, and documentation.     

Women and violence. A one-year prospective study from Bergen emergency department

Medical studies on violence towards women have usually focused on domestic violence. Less attention has been devoted to other kinds of violence towards women regardless of cause. During a 12-month period in 1994-95 all victims of assault were recorded at Bergen Accident and Emergency Department. The attending physician completed a questionnaire on violence exploring where, when and how the assault happened, the use of weapons, whether the patient and perpetrator or both were under the influence of alcohol, and whether the patient intended to press legal charges. Patient characteristics and medical information were also recorded. 24% of the assaulted victims were females (241 of a total of 994). 131 of the females were victims of domestic violence, while 102 were injured in public places. Women injured in public places tended to be younger and more likely to be under the influence of alcohol than those injured by domestic violence. There were no significant differences in patterns of ICPC-diagnoses between the two groups, though the number of admissions to hospitals and referrals to specialists was higher in the group subjected to domestic violence.     

Domestic violence in Greece.

Presents the results from the 1st empirical study on domestic violence in Greece. Surveys containing questions about domestic violence were obtained from 676 students in a social psychology class (80% between the ages of 25 and 55 yrs). 230 Ss reported that they have been exposed to or had been victims of domestic violence. Only 12 reported sexual violence. Domestic violence in Greece appears to occur at a rate similar to that of other countries. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Screening for Domestic Violence: Recommendations Based on a Practice Survey.

How do practicing psychologists identify female victims of domestic violence? When asking about harm to self and others, do they also ask if the client is in danger of being harmed by another in an intimate relationship? A national survey of practicing psychologists revealed that 95% agreed that it is their responsibility to assist victimized clients, but fewer than 19% routinely screen for domestic violence. Psychologists report several barriers to screening at intake, which coupled with low screening rates, suggest that psychologists are missing important opportunities to assist clients who are at risk for assault. Several recommendations designed to improve psychologists' screening rates for domestic violence are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Domestic violence in Russia.

Reported incidence and frequency rates of domestic violence in Russia exceed Western figures by 4 or 5 times. Although a grassroots social services movement has emerged to provide services for victims and families, a number of historical and cultural influences unique to Russia present challenges with regard to the problem of domestic violence. These include a history of institutional oppression of women, arcane legal procedures, a shortage of housing and shelters, untrained medical professionals, and widespread misinformation and myths about domestic violence. This article documents incidence and prevalence of domestic violence, cultural and historical influences, legal issues, and specific challenges to ending domestic violence in Russia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of mental health services among victims of crime: Frequency, correlates, and subsequent recovery.

The use of mental health services was examined within a sample of 392 victims of crime who were generally representative of that population in Kentucky. Respondents were interviewed twice at a 6-month interval. Of these victims, 12% had contact with mental health professionals within the first few months postcrime. Hierarchical discriminant analyses revealed that use of mental health services was most prevalent when depressive symptoms were present and the crime involved violence. Among victims of violence, urban residence, high social support, internal locus of control, and prior crime experience were also associated with use. The victims who recovered from the event most rapidly were those who reported receiving mental health services at both Waves 1 and 2. Implications of the study for policies and programs are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of domestic violence on children's behavior problems and depression.

The Children's Depression Inventory, Child Behavior Checklist, and Youth Self-Report were completed by mothers, fathers, and their 8–12 yr old children to assess the effects of various types of domestic violence on children's behavior problems and depression. 110 Israeli children from lower-class families were identified through social service records. 33 of the children had been physically abused by their parents within the last 6 mo, 16 had witnessed spouse abuse, 30 had been both victims and witnesses of domestic violence, and 31 had experienced no known domestic violence. Overall, domestic violence had effects on child development that varied in magnitude and nature depending on the type of domestic violence and who reported the information about the child's adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ecto-ATPases and receptors for ATP

Guerilla warfare procedures injuries that are intended to have a psychologic as well as a physical effect on the victims. Intentional violence in the form of punishment beatings or shootings inflicted on one person are used to control the behavior of members of a like group. Bombings and social chaos are used to disrupt life in the community and produce random types of violent injuries. In Belfast health care providers care for trauma victims from both sides of the warfare and are subject to becoming victims of violence themselves.     

Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin treatment for Stage T1 grade 3 transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the current knowledge base and screening practices of obstetrician-gynecologists in the area of domestic violence. METHODS: We mailed a survey to 189 ACOG Fellows who are members of the Collaborative Ambulatory Research Network. Questionnaires were also mailed to a random sample of 1250 nonmember Fellows. RESULTS: Obstetrician-gynecologists are aware of the nature of domestic violence and are familiar with common symptomatology that may be associated with domestic violence. For pregnant patients, 39% of respondents routinely screen at the first prenatal visit; 27% of respondents routinely screen nonpregnant patients at the initial visit. Screening is most likely to occur when the obstetrician-gynecologist suspects a patient is being abused, both during pregnancy (68%) and when the patient is not pregnant (72%). Only 30% of obstetrician-gynecologists received training on domestic violence during medical school; 37% received such instruction during residency training. The majority (67%) have received continuing education on the subject. Years since training and personal experiences with intimate-partner violence were associated with increased screening practices. CONCLUSION: Routine screening of all women for domestic violence has been recommended by ACOG for more than a decade. The majority of obstetrician-gynecologists screen both pregnant and nonpregnant patients when they suspect abuse. However, with universal screening, more female victims of violence can be identified and can receive needed services.     

When women leave violent relationships: Dispelling clinical myths.

This article revisits and reexamines previously reported findings addressing the longitudinal course of violent couples (N. S. Jacobson et al, 1996). The authors engaged in unprecedented efforts to obtain follow-up data from couples that were formerly missing during the 2-yr follow-up. Efforts were remarkably successful, with 11 of the 15 couples supplying marital status information. By recontacting this previously missing subset of data, the authors were able to reanalyze previously reported findings, specifically to examine the validity of 3 pieces of clinical lore: (1) victims of domestic abuse are unlikely to leave their abusive husbands, (2) victims of domestic violence are passive and self-defeating, and (3) physical violence is the most important factor in women's decisions to leave. Reanalyses revealed faults in all 3 of the preceding pieces of lore. The clinical implications of all 3 findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Police involvement in domestic violence: the interactive effects of victim injury, offender's history of violence, and race

While there is a proliferation of research devoted to ascertaining the efficacy of arrest and other formal sanctions in deterring domestic violence, little research has focused on factors related to the pivotal point at which this formal sanctioning process begins, namely, in a victim's decision to report her victimization to police. This paper is an attempt to rectify this omission by examining those factors most important in predicting the police-reporting behavior of 1535 female victims of intimate-perpetrated violence (e.g., by husbands and boyfriends) taken from the National Crime Victimization Survey during 1987-1992. In addition to predicting the reporting decision of these victims, models predicting various police responses to a victim's report were also examined, including police response times, police actions at the scene, and the probability of an arrest being made. A combination of contextual and demographic characteristics affected the probability that incidents would be placed into the realm of formal sanctioning. Black victims, victims who sustained injury as the result of their victimization, and victims who reported that the offender had not victimized them before were more likely to report their victimization to police. These same factors were also significant predictors of arrest. Police were more likely to make an arrest in incidents in which victims had sustained injuries, when the offender did not have a history of violence, and in incidents which involved Black offenders victimizing Black victims. Implications for the "Battered Women Syndrome" and suggestions for future research are discussed.