Domestic Violence Education Research Articles

Enabling Emergency Department Staff to Support Domestic Violence Victims of Strangulation

ABSTRACT The study reported here investigated what enables emergency department (ED) staff to support domestic violence victim-survivors of strangulation, which poses potentially life-threatening medical and psychosocial risks. Informed by Appreciative Inquiry, interviews were conducted with twelve staff from eight emergency departments in New South Wales, Australia. Doctors, nurses, and social workers with experience in supporting victim-survivors of domestic violence-related strangulation were interviewed. De-identified transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Themes identified from the data were the importance of recognising strangulation injuries, that understanding experiences of violence improves ED staff’s responses to victim-survivors of strangulation, the value of social work in multidisciplinary response, and that informal support sustains staff in this work. These themes highlight the need for emergency department staff education in identifying and responding to domestic violence and strangulation, which enables informed responses, positive patient engagement, and effective multidisciplinary care. IMPLICATIONS Multidisciplinary care for health and safety assessments are essential for domestic violence victim-survivors of strangulation presenting to emergency departments. 24-hour access to social workers in emergency departments facilitates safety planning and may mitigate the risks of escalating violence. Strangulation and domestic violence education is essential for emergency department staff. There is an evident need for increased social work roles in EDs, especially in rural hospitals, to support victim-survivors and to apply a social work approach to train ED staff to respond appropriately. Formalising supportive structures through enhancing social work and domestic violence education in emergency departments whilst encouraging informal support networks for staff may enhance safety for victims-survivors and maximise staff emotional wellbeing.

Prevalence and Patterns of Domestic Violence among Women at M Djamil Hospital in Padang, West Sumatera, Indonesia

Gender-based violence is a major risk for women worldwide. Violence against women often occurs in domestic settings. All domestic violence victims have the right to protection, including access to health care. However, the number of women who seek assistance from health services is low. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and analyze patterns of domestic violence against women. This was a descriptive study using data from medical records of women victims of domestic violence from 2017–2022 in Dr. M. Djamil Hospital. The results of this study showed that a total of 28 cases of female victims of domestic violence were examined. The age range was 6–11 years (28.6%). Sexual violence was the most common (45.9%), followed by physical violence (32.4%), and psychological violence (21.6%). Lacerations (50%) were the most common type of injury, followed by abrasions (23.3%), and bruises (16.7%). The most common cases involved victims and perpetrators being biological siblings (21.9%). Physical violence was most common between siblings, while sexual violence was most common, with the perpetrators being biological fathers and uncles. The total number of cases reported to the police was 60.7%, while the remaining 39.3% had not yet been reported to the police. There were 57.1% of cases that were repeated incidents, and 42.9% of cases were first-time violence. Considering a relatively small number of persons seeking support from health services, it is critical to undertake domestic violence education so that people are better aware of and understand their rights as victims. Keywords: Domestic; Violence; Sexual; Women

Gender differences among mental health professionals’ knowledge of domestic violence

ABSTRACT Objective This article aims to discuss the gender differences among female and male mental health professionals working with domestic violence survivors. In addition, this article suggests gender is a significant variable that should be considered in domestic violence education, research, and practice. Method Data were collected from a sample of 175 mental health professionals who responded to quantitative and qualitative questions assessing their knowledge of DV. Data were imported to the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), version 28 which was used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistical methods were employed to explore the descriptive statistics of the demographic variables. Cross-tabulation and chi-square tests were used to explore associations between variables. Results The findings show that gender differences exist among female and male mental health professionals’ knowledge of domestic violence. Female mental health professionals tend to have a higher awareness and understanding of domestic violence about prevalence, while male mental health professionals tend to have a higher understanding of the impact of domestic violence on racial and ethnic women and women in various age groups. Discussion The study demonstrates the need to integrate an inclusive gender analysis that examines the competency, knowledge, and skills among mental health professionals working with domestic violence survivors. A gender analysis is crucial in further exploring mental health professionals’ roles, attitudes, treatment, outcomes, and approaches to domestic violence cases.

Barriers to domestic violence education in Northern Ireland: Pupils' views and experiences

AbstractDomestic violence (DV) in adult and young people's intimate partner relationships is a social and public health problem across the globe. Education can play an important and unique role in addressing DV; however, it remains relatively under‐investigated. The aim of this qualitative study set in Northern Ireland, the first of its kind, was to explore young people's views and experiences of DV education. Focus groups were conducted with 188 pupils (97 males and 91 females) aged 16 to 18 attending post‐primary school. The data were analysed using thematic analysis and reveal five barriers to DV education: (1) absence of DV teaching and learning; (2) DV is a taboo topic; (3) lack of teacher training and expertise on DV; (4) religious influence; (5) prioritisation of academic achievement over pupil wellbeing. The results demonstrate that changes are needed in schools to improve the role of schools in addressing DV. From this qualitative study, we make recommendations for how school‐based DV education may help prevent and protect young people against intimate partner violence.

Exploration of barriers to screening for domestic violence in the perinatal period using an ecological framework.

To explore Australian healthcare providers' perspectives on factors that influence disclosure and domestic violence screening through the lens of Heise's (1998) integrated ecological framework. This paper reports the findings that were part of a sequential mixed methods study with survey data informing interview questions. Participants for interviews were recruited after expressing an interest after completing surveys, as well as via snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken in 2017 with 12 practicing healthcare providers delivering care to women in the perinatal period in Greater Western Sydney, NSW, Australia. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-step thematic approach. The findings were framed within Heise's integrated ecological framework under four main themes. The main themes were 'Ontogenic: Factors preventing women from disclosing'; 'Microsystem: Factors preventing healthcare providers from asking'; 'Exosystem: Organizational structures not conducive to screening'; and 'Macrosystem: Cultural attitudes and socioeconomic influences affecting screening'. Organizational policies are needed for better systems of reminding healthcare providers to enquire for domestic and family violence and mandating this within their practices. Mandatory domestic and family violence education and training that is suitable for the time constraints and learning needs of the healthcare provider is recommended for all healthcare providers caring for perinatal women. Further research is needed in addressing culturally specific barriers for healthcare providers to enquire about domestic and family violence in a culturally appropriate way. No Patient or Public Contribution was embedded into the research reported in this paper as this research was specifically exploring healthcare providers' perspectives on domestic violence screening within their own practice experience.

Impact of Domestic Violence upon Mental Health of Secondary level School Girls

Abusing physically, mentally, sexually and economically by a person to a person who have familial relationship is domestic violence. This paper aims to describe what the relationship between impact of DV committed by mother and father, and mental health of girl students is. The study followed cross sectional research design and cluster sampling technique. Data of 385 students that were collected through self-administered anonymous questionnaire were analyzed. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. Pearson’s Correlation test was applied to identify what the relationship of abusing and beating have with anxiety and depression, and multiple regression analysis was used to predict significant contributor to DV. The great majority (84.6%) and 73.1% respondents who had experience of DV respectively had mild to moderate anxiety and depression. One in seven (15.4%) and 26.7% respondents respectively had severe anxiety and depression. Severity and frequency of abusing and beating had strong positive significant relationship with anxiety and depression. Severity and frequency of father beating contribute more to anxiety and depression. Local government must conduct domestic violence education for mothers and fathers of the study area.

Prevalence of parental violence upon girls and its associated factors

Any form of harm perpetrated by a person to a person within familial relationship is domestic violence. High prevalence of intimate partner violence in districts of province 2 indicates high probability of domestic violence upon children but studies are not focusing it. This paper aims to describe prevalence of parental violence and the association among its associated factors. The study followed cross sectional research design and cluster sampling. Altogether, 435 students participated in the study but data from 385 respondents were submitted for analysis. Tool for data collection was self-administered anonymous questionnaire. Descriptive statistics like percentage, mean and standard deviation were used. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify the association among violence committed by parent and its associated factors. This study found that nearly one-third (62.3%) respondents had experience of some type of DV from either mother or father. Relationship of parents, and abusing and beating of mother was highly associated with DV than relationship of parents, and abusing and beating of father. Domestic violence education should be given to parents that focus on relationship of parents.

Dentists' Competence and Knowledge on Domestic Violence and How to Improve It-A Review.

Domestic violence (DV) is an important public health topic with a high prevalence in society. Dentists are also frontline responders to DV, as they not only treat victims of DV with dental injuries, but they can also screen for the presence of DV because they see patients for regular check-ups. Using the WHO definition, which describes domestic violence as intimate partner violence, 17 papers could be included in our analyses. The results of this review clearly indicated that although dentists, as members of the health care sector, are important frontline responders to DV, they are neither trained adequately at medical school nor do most feel competent enough to ask victims about DV or support them as needed. DV is often not taught at dentistry schools at all. The aims of this review were to provide an overview of existing literature on dentists’ knowledge and beliefs regarding DV, whether and how DV is taught in medical education and to give recommendations on how to improve the education of dentists on this topic. Based on our findings, we recommend that DV education should be mandatory at dentistry schools and in further training for dentists with a focus on communication with victims, how DV can be identified and how to support victims well.

Population-Level Epidemiology of Concussion Concurrent with Domestic Violence in Arizona, USA.

Domestic violence (DV) is a chronic societal epidemic that often involves physical assault to the head, neck, and face, which increases the risk of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in DV victims. However, epidemiological data on the extent of TBI-DV at the population scale remain sparse. We performed a statewide, multi-institution, retrospective review of all medical records for patients diagnosed with a concussion, the most common type of TBI, at health care facilities in Arizona, USA, that were licensed by Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) during 2016-2018. De-identified records were extracted from discharge data reported to ADHS, which we decoded and transformed to spatiotemporal demographic data of patients who were diagnosed with concussion concurrent with DV. Among 72,307 concussion diagnoses, 940 were concurrent with DV. Sixteen patients died as a result of TBI-DV injuries, where TBI is defined as concussion. Although females were most of the TBI-DV diagnoses, median ages for males and females were 1 and 32 years, respectively, demonstrating that males were predominantly child abuse victims. Whites and Hispanics were victims most diagnosed with concussion and DV, but Native Americans and Blacks comprised a much greater proportion of diagnoses compared with the representative state demographics. Although likely underreported, approximately half of the cases were inflicted by intimate partners, which corresponded closely to marital status. Surprisingly, 61% of victims sought medical treatment for non-concussion injuries and then concussion was entered as a primary diagnosis. The demographic and health care facility disparities demand TBI/concussion screening in suspected DV patients, education and training of care providers, and potential redistribution of resources to select health care facilities.

The hidden pandemic: Student perspectives on domestic violence education.

The hidden pandemic: Student perspectives on domestic violence education.

PAs and domestic violence education.

PAs and domestic violence education.

Understanding the perception of stakeholders in reducing adolescent-to-parent violence/aggression

IntroductionAdolescent-to-parent violence/aggression (APV/A) is an understudied yet increasingly common social problem for adolescents and families, particularly those involved in the juvenile justice system. The current study focused on improving interventions for this population by gathering qualitative data from stakeholders to inform treatment targets. MethodsParticipants (N = 23) comprised of court professionals (n = 7), parents/guardians (n = 9), and their male adolescent children (n = 7) in the United States. Parent and adolescent participants were recruited through monthly court-mandated domestic violence education classes offered by the juvenile court. Parent/guardian participants were between the ages of 38 and 77 and consisted of four males and five females. Adolescents were between the ages of 14 and 17. Court professional participants consisted of judges, probation officers, and court psychologists. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed qualitatively using grounded theory. ResultsResults indicated that, from the perspective of key stakeholders, an effective intervention to reduce APV/A likely involves a two-pronged approach: (1) address specific and theoretically modifiable emotional, behavioral, and psychological factors at the adolescent-level; and (2) induce change in the family system by addressing environmental barriers to seeking treatment and by creating positive family relationships. ConclusionsThe present study aimed to gather the perspectives of court professionals, adolescents, and parents/guardians regarding the development of an effective intervention for APV/A-involved families. This study represents the first step toward the development of a feasible, acceptable, sustainable, and effective intervention for adolescents and their families who are involved in the juvenile justice system due to APV/A.

Eyeing Innocent Souls: The trajectory of Domestic violence and children's education in Botswana

The purpose of this paper is to interrogate the effects of domestic violence among children in Botswana. Domestic violence is a global problem as it affects people from both poor and stable economies. Research has shown that there is a link between domestic violence and child abuse. This link has been shown in and confirmed by various studies conducted in a number of countries including China, South Africa, Colombia, India, Egypt, Philippines and Mexico (Unicef, 2005). Botswana like many countries of the world has a challenge of protecting children from being victims of domestic violence. Most violence in Botswana is reported to occur within intimate relationships which takes the form of emotional, physical and psychological abuse and mostly occurs among women. It has also been observed that domestic violence is common mostly in male dominated cultures which are either patriarchal or patrilineal and often justified by their customs and traditions, and condoned by law (Kanchipuntu and Mwale, 2016). This violence is said to affect children’s lives as it may result in emotional trauma, physical and psychological barriers in schooling and educational experience in general (Lloyd, 2018). Paradoxically, children find themselves entangled in domestic violence with very little knowledge of what steps to take to end the form of abuse they experience. Governments, education systems and schools in particular have a role to play to mitigate the situation that children find themselves in hence the suggested strategies. More research needs to be undertaken to develop ways of dealing with domestic violence in schools which are culturally sensitive..
 

Understanding the Needs and Preferences of Domestic and Sexual Violence Education for Health Profession Students.

This study examined health profession students' comfort levels, perceived knowledge, attitudes, and preferences for domestic and sexual violence education at an academic medical center. Students indicated their perceived knowledge of community resources was poor, whereas comfort, attitudes, and perceived knowledge of the topic remained fair. A majority of students (83.2%) reported receiving less than 3 hr of training in their coursework, which remained consistent for students with more years of education. Students preferred content be incorporated into existing curricula or presented in lunch seminars. Study results reveal opportunities for improvement in domestic and sexual violence education.

Critical call for hospital-based domestic violence intervention: The Davis Challenge.

Fifty percent of women killed in intimate partner violence (IPV) were seen by a health care provider within a year of their death. As guest speaker to Virginia Commonwealth University Trauma Center (VCU-TC), Dr. James Davis (Western Trauma Association past president) challenged VCU-TC to develop a hospital-based IPV program. This research examines the development and impact of an integrated hospital/VCU-TC-based IPV program. The IPV survey was carried out to determine need for training and screening. Hospital forensic nurse examiners case logs were evaluated to determine IPV prevalence. An integrated IPV program-Project Empower was developed, consisting of staff education, patient screening, victim crisis fund, and interdisciplinary sexual assault/domestic violence intervention team. Between 2014 and 2018, patients admitted with an IPV consult to Project Empower were entered into a secure database capturing demographics, mechanisms, income data, and social determinants of risk. Program feasibility was evaluated on patient engagement via screening and case management. Program impact was evaluated on crisis intervention, safety planning, and community referral. Forensic nurse examiner data and IPV survey evaluation noted 20% IPV prevalence and lack of IPV screening and training. The IPV patients (N = 799) were women (90%), unmarried (79%) and African-American (60%). Primary mechanisms were firearm (44%) or stabbing (34%). Survivors were perpetrated by a cohabiting (42%) or dating partner (18%). Monthly income averaged US $622. Forty percent had no health insurance. Advocates provided 62% case management. Survivors received victim crisis funds (16%), safety planning (68%), crisis intervention (78%), sexual and domestic violence education (83%), and community referral (83%). Within 5 years, 35 (4%) were reinjured and seen in the emergency department. Thirty-one (4%) were readmitted for IPV-related injuries. Two deaths were attributed to IPV. Critical call for hospital-based IPV intervention programs as a priority for trauma centers to adopt cannot be underestimated but can be answered in a comprehensive integrated model. Therapeutic, level I.

The Role and Education of Dental Care Professionals in Identifying Domestic Violence: Report of an Audience Participation Exercise and Round Table Discussion

Domestic violence (DV) is a major public problem affecting 30% of women over 16. Three quarters of victims have violence to the head and neck, and therefore the role of the dentist is paramount in DV identification. Only one-third of dental schools in the UK include DV in their curricula and there is a need to introduce effective education for the whole profession. This study reported the results of an anonymous questionnaire delivered to an international senior academic and professional audience and a subsequent roundtable discussion of experts who considered issues and education surrounding DV. A 10 question survey was administered to an international audience from 14 countries with specific interests in education. It followed an introductory lecture on DV, and gathered on-the-spot feedback of the audience’s perceptions of the problem of DV and dental education. The results were collated and used to inform the expert roundtable group that aimed to discuss professional responsibility, dental education and training in DV, and potential further work. Fifty-seven questionnaires were returned from participants spanning 14 countries, though comparing the views of different groups in the survey was not possible, as this was anonymous and voluntary feedback. Only 42% of the audience considered that DV was sufficiently covered by the dental curriculum with a lack of certainty over professional responsibility. The roundtable group of 11 senior academics and professionals from five countries felt that dental professionals were well place to intervene in DV and have a responsibility to do so. They could potentially break the cycle of events. Embedding key knowledge in undergraduate curricula and continuing professional development training was considered essential to create a safe environment for screening and referral. A well-designed online course was perceived as an effective way of delivering such training. DV is a widespread and serious problem that can be identified by dental professionals. However, there are gaps in training that need to be addressed, and could facilitated by a well-designed online course.

A Call to Action: Domestic Violence Education in Social Work.

A Call to Action: Domestic Violence Education in Social Work.

Thinking Beyond the Escape: Evaluating the Reintegration of Child Soldiers in Uganda

While the Lord’s Resistance Army has gained notoriety for its brutal tactics and abduction of Ugandan children, little attention has been given to the return and reintegration of these formerly abducted child soldiers. The absence of a formal reintegration program in Uganda has placed the burden of reintegration on international NGOs, but reliance on non-local organizations to successfully reintegrate child soldiers has proven challenging. This paper seeks to evaluate whether the process of reintegration in Uganda has been successful. With an overwhelming lack of up to date and methodologically sound research, variables such as PTSD, domestic violence, alcoholism, violent crime, and primary education rates are evaluated to indicate the current state of Northern Uganda. These variables indicate an unstable environment in Northern Uganda and suggest reintegration has proven unsuccessful in the Acholi region. The successful reintegration of child soldiers is demonstrated to be not merely a Ugandan issue, but an international issue.

Domestic Violence Education for UK and Ireland Undergraduate Dental Students: A Five‐Year Perspective

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to ascertain whether undergraduate dental students in the United Kingdom and Ireland are receiving formal teaching on recognizing and managing domestic violence (DV) as part of their curricula. A questionnaire was sent to all dental schools in the UK and Ireland in 2007 and again in 2012, requesting information on whether the subject was taught, by which specialty it was taught, and whether schools felt it was important to include in the curriculum. In 2007, twelve of the fifteen dental schools completed and returned the questionnaire, for a response rate of 80 percent; in 2012, eleven of the sixteen dental schools responded, for a response rate of 69 percent. The main findings were that, in 2007, 50 percent of the responding schools were providing teaching about DV and the majority of this teaching was delivered by oral surgery and pediatric dentistry departments. In 2012, only 45 percent of the responding schools were teaching DV, with 60 percent of this teaching being delivered by pediatric dentists. This study's findings suggest that DV is an undertaught area in UK and Irish undergraduate dental curricula. Some schools recognized the importance of DV teaching; however, they have been unable to implement it because of a full curriculum and lack of appropriately trained staff amongst other reasons.

The Laws Have Changed, But What About the Police? Policing Domestic Violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Despite having received gender sensitivity and domestic violence (DV) education in the post-war reformation era, anecdotal evidence from across Bosnia and Herzegovina indicates that most police officers view DV as a private family affair and continue to hold negative attitudes toward women and DV victims. This study assessed these claims by examining gender and DV attitudes held by 137 Bosnian police officers. It was hypothesized that officers who received DV training would be less likely to hold sexist attitudes toward women or view DV as justifiable compared with untrained officers. Results, as well as policy implications and suggestions for future research, are presented.