Identification Of Domestic Violence Research Articles

"This is not within the scope of our tasks or even duties"—barriers in the identification of domestic violence by healthcare workers

"This is not within the scope of our tasks or even duties"—barriers in the identification of domestic violence by healthcare workers

Beyond bones, joints and muscles: can physiotherapists have a role in identifying and supporting domestic violence victims?

Purpose Domestic violence (DV) is a pervasive global issue affecting people across all demographics. Physiotherapists, due to their close patient contact, may be ideally positioned to identify and support victims. However, their preparedness for this role is shown to fall short of needs via a study that aimed to determine physiotherapists’ knowledge, attitudes, and experiences with DV in Estonia, Greece, Cyprus, and Spain. Methods An online questionnaire via the LimeSurvey® platform assessed the experiences of 167 physiotherapists across the four countries. The survey covered respondent demographics, training received on DV identification and referral procedures, self-reported confidence in identifying and referring DV victims, and the frequency of encountering suspected cases. Results The findings revealed a substantial gap between the legal mandates for healthcare professionals to address DV (as outlined in the Istanbul Convention and a 2024 EU Directive) and the preparedness of physiotherapists. Only 13.2% of respondents had received any DV training, and less than half felt confident making referrals to support services. However, there is an evident association between experience and awareness – physiotherapists with more years of experience, particularly those specialising in paediatrics or chronic conditions, are more likely to have encountered and reported suspected DV cases. Conclusions The study’s generalisability may be limited due to the sample size and the selection process (social media outreach and professional networks). Additionally, self-reported data can be prone to bias. Nonetheless, these findings highlight a critical need for integrating DV training modules into physiotherapy education curricula, both at the entry-level and throughout continuing education programs. The Online Professional Education for Physiotherapists and other healthcare professionals on DV (OPEP) project, in response to this gap, has developed a comprehensive online training resource specifically for physiotherapists on DV identification and referral protocols. This initiative aligns with the growing recognition of healthcare professionals’ role in combating DV and can play a vital role in supporting victims and survivors.

IJCM_9A: Violence among pregnant women attending a secondary care maternity hospital, Ramnagara Taluk, Solur– A Cross-Sectional study.

Background: According to NFHS 5 data, 3.1% of pregnant women in India suffer from domestic violence. Domestic violence in pregnant women can lead to unfavourable effect on physical, mental and emotional health of women, not only women, the growing fetus is also affected. Objectives: i) To assess the prevalence of violence among pregnant women in a private secondary level hospital in Solur, Ramnagara. ii) To assess the factors associated with violence among the study population. Methodology: All pregnant women of age group 18-40 years availing services at the out-patient department of the Snehalaya Hospital, Solur except those who were in labour or having serious medical emergency irrespective of gestational age were included in the study. Our sample size were 384 pregnant women in Solur. Study period were from November 2022 to February 2023 with the help of validated interview guide domestic violence among pregnant women has been assessed and data collected using Epicollect 5®. Chi-square test for association was done to identify associations, if any. Results: In the study, antenatal women who experienced violence were 146 out of 384 (38%). Of these, the distribution of cases were as follows: psychological violence – 114 (29.6%), physical violence – 19 (4.9%), sexual violence – 5 (1.3%) and economical violence – 75 (19.5%). Factors associated with violence were husband’s alcoholic addiction, higher age of pregnant women, higher education and unemployed pregnant women, multigravida and middle class family (Chi-square test, P< 0.05). Conclusion: In the study, 1/3rd of pregnant women were suffering from domestic violence. Early identification of domestic violence during the antenatal clinics and providing proper counseling to husband and family members regarding later consequences to mother and child due to violence can improve maternal and child health in future.

Knowledge and Awareness about Identification of Domestic Violence, Abuse and Neglect of Victim among Dentists

Domestic violence is an age-old social evil which remains hidden from the eyes of the society for long.The incidence of domestic violence (DV) is at epidemic proportions of violence, abuse and neglect of anyindividual have a significant impact on the social system. Majority of the studies report violent and abusiveinjuries involve the head and neck region but many times dentists fail to report abuse. The various reasonscould include loss of patients, economic loss and fear of dealing caregivers or of getting involved. Aboveall these, the majorly lack of sufficient knowledge about identification uncertainty of diagnosis and agencieswhere to report. The purpose of this paper is to assess the knowledge regarding identification of domesticviolence, abuse and neglect and reporting agencies of maltreatment.Aim & Objective: The aim of the present study is to assess knowledge and create awareness regardingidentification of domestic violence, abuse and neglect and reporting agencies of maltreatment among dentistsof Mysuru city of India.Method: A self-administered, structured questionnaire written in English given to the dentists who givetheir consent.Results: 91.7% (n=100) of the participants had heard about Domestic Violence, neglect and abuse and73%(n=67) had come across victims of Domestic violence, neglect and abuse. Among them, 9.2% (n=10)had come across them frequently and 32 (29.8%) occasionally.51 respondents said that the domestic violence victims are adult females, elderly female patients (16.6%)followed by children between 12 to 15 years of age (13.7%)Conclusion: Many dentists will come across and identify the victims in their practice, but only few dentistswill make an attempt to report. The main reason being lack of knowledge and proper training. Thus, there is aneed for all of us to get trained in this aspect. Recognizing reporting the violence is everyone’s responsibility

Automated Identification of Domestic Violence in Written Child Welfare Records: Leveraging Text Mining and Machine Learning to Enhance Social Work Research and Evaluation

Objective: Child welfare agencies often lack information about the front-end service needs of the families they serve. Thus, the current study tests the feasibility of text mining and machine learning procedures for identifying problems related to domestic violence documented in child welfare investigation summaries. Method: We labeled child welfare investigation summaries (N = 1,402) for the presence or absence of an active domestic violence service need. Labeled documents were then used to develop text mining and machine learning models and test their accuracy and reliability. Results: Machine learning models achieved greater than 90% accuracy when compared with human coders. Fleiss kappa estimates of coding reliability between the top-performing model and human reviewers exceeded .80, indicating that our model could support human reviewers to complete this coding task. Conclusion: Results provide strong evidence that text mining and machine learning procedures can be a cost-effective solution for extracting meaningful insights from text data. Although unsuitable for case-level predictive analytics, insights derived from these procedures can be particularly useful for investigating the prevalence, temporal trends, and geographic distribution of domestic violence-related needs in the child welfare system. These methods could substantially enhance the use of text data in social work research and evaluation.

Domestic violence, parental substance misuse and the decision to substantiate child maltreatment

Families that experience domestic violence and parental substance misuse are disproportionately involved with the child welfare system. Prior research suggests that child protective services (CPS) caseworkers are more likely to substantiate maltreatment allegations when domestic violence and parental substance misuse are identified during the investigation, pointing to one possible mechanism for this disproportionate involvement. While previous studies have relied on nationally representative data sets, the current study used administrative records from a large Midwestern child welfare agency that accounts for state-level variation in child welfare policy and practice. A total of 501,060 substantiation decisions made between 2009 and 2013 were examined to assess the influence of caseworker-perceived domestic violence and parental substance misuse on the decision to substantiate reported maltreatment. Results from multilevel modeling suggest that the identification of domestic violence and parental substance misuse during an investigation significantly increased the probability that an allegation would be substantiated. The implication of these findings for child welfare practice are considered in light of the fact that many child welfare agencies do not consider exposure to domestic violence and parental substance misuse in and of themselves to constitute child maltreatment.

The culture of pretence: a hidden barrier to recognising, disclosing and ending domestic violence.

To explore in detail how women perceived their experience of domestic violence and leaving or ending the abuse. This research also examined how service providers identified their professional role in assisting women to end such relationships. Domestic violence against women continues to occur internationally. Reliable statistics are difficult to capture because of inconsistent definitions, contradictory methods of acquiring data and unreported incidents. A qualitative study, undertaken in two phases, was conducted in Australia. Twelve women who had experienced domestic violence and ended those relationships participated in one semistructured interview (Phase 1). Twenty-five professionals from health, social sciences and law, whose work included assisting women experiencing domestic violence, participated in three focus groups (Phase 2). Thematic analysis guided by a narrative inquiry approach forms the framework for information collection and interpretation of data in this project. The barriers that impede women from disclosing abuse and taking action to end domestic violence are complex and varied between participants. Women did not always acknowledge or realise their relationship was precarious and often denied or minimised the abuse to cope with the domestic violence. Professionals identified that women did not always identify or acknowledge abuse inherent in their relationship although this delayed the provision of appropriate services. Whether women disclose abuse or deny violence in their relationship, acceptance by service providers and the offer of support is crucial to assisting women in violent relationships. It is hoped that the findings may assist health practitioners, including nurses, to provide nonjudgemental support to women experiencing domestic violence whether women acknowledge the abusive relationship or not.

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.

Profiles of Child-Welfare-Involved Caregivers Identified by Caseworkers as Having a Domestic Violence Problem: Then and Now.

Over the past 10 years, there has been a significant decline in the rate of domestic violence (DV) experienced among caregivers involved with the child protective services (CPS) system. It is unclear whether this shift is related to changes in caregiver characteristics. Furthermore, despite evidence that suggests CPS caseworkers poorly identify DV and fail to link families to DV services, limited research exists on whether the current CPS interventions that are known to improve caseworkers' DV identification will also improve chances for DV service receipt. The present study uses data from the first and second cohorts of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) to compare differences in demographic characteristics and DV experiences between caregivers in NSCAW I (1999-2000; n = 2,758) and NSCAW II (2008-2009; n = 2,207). We also examine the effects of CPS interventions on NSCAW II caregivers' receipt of DV services external to the CPS agency (i.e., external DV services). Caregivers with caseworker reports of active DV in NSCAW I and II were similar in their demographic characteristics and external DV service experiences. However, caregivers in NSCAW II generally reported lower rates of victimization for specific types of violence than NSCAW I caregivers. Finally, caregivers with active DV involved with an agency that used DV assessment tools were 7.03 times more likely to receive external DV services than those in agencies without DV tools (95% confidence interval [CI] = [2.33, 21.22]). Whereas caregivers in agencies that sometimes (odds ratio [OR] = 0.16, 95% CI = [0.03, 0.99]) or always (OR = 0.15, 95% CI = [0.02, 0.98]) had a DV specialist available were less likely to receive external DV services than those in an agency that never/rarely had a DV specialist available. We recommend CPS agencies use specialized assessment tools to identify DV-affected families and link them to services. Additional research is needed to understand what types of services DV specialists offer within CPS agencies and whether these services meet caregivers' needs.

Understanding sustained domestic violence identification in maternal and child health nurse care: process evaluation from a 2‐year follow‐up of the MOVE trial

To investigate factors contributing to the sustained domestic violence screening and support practices of Maternal and Child Health nurses 2 years after a randomized controlled trial. Domestic violence screening by healthcare professionals has been implemented in many primary care settings. Barriers to screening exist and screening rates remain low. Evidence for longer term integration of nurse screening is minimal. Trial outcomes showed sustained safety planning behaviours by intervention group nurses. Process evaluation in 2-year follow-up of a cluster randomized controlled trial. Evaluation included a repeat online nurse survey and 14 interviews (July-September 2013). Survey analysis included comparison of proportionate group difference between arms and between trial baseline and 2 year follow-up surveys. Framework analysis was used to assess qualitative data. Normalization Process Theory informed evaluation design and interpretation of results. Survey response was 77% (n = 123/160). Sustainability of nurse identification of domestic violence appeared to be due to greater nurse discussion and domestic violence disclosure by women, facilitated by use of a maternal health and well-being checklist. Over time, intervention group nurses used the maternal checklist more at specific maternal health visits and found the checklist the most helpful resource assisting their domestic violence work. Nurses' spoke of a degree of 'normalization' to domestic violence screening that will need constant investment to maintain. Sustainable domestic violence screening and support outcomes can be achieved in an environment of comprehensive, nurse designed and theory driven implementation. Continuing training, discussion and monitoring of domestic violence work is needed to retain sustainable practices.

Can fracture clinics respond to domestic violence?

Domestic violence is prevalent across communities and in clinical practice worldwide.1 The USA has called for screening in all clinical settings,2 although evidence to support this idea is scarce.3 Prevalence studies are a basic prerequisite to convince clinicians to pay attention to this major public health issue. However, prevalence data might not be sufficient to overcome barriers against clinicians asking about, or identifying, domestic violence. Despite more than a decade of studies in many clinical settings (eg, family practice, emergency departments, and antenatal clinics) showing a high prevalence of domestic violence4 and the subsequent introduction of training or screening in health settings, identification of domestic violence in these settings has not increased.

Singularités cliniques et criminologiques de l’uxoricide : éléments de compréhension du meurtre conjugal

Female intimate partner homicide (FIPH) is a fatal complication of domestic violence. The aim of this study was to describe the socio-demographic, clinical and criminological characteristics of male perpetrators of FIPH and to compare them to the perpetrators of extrafamilial homicide and the perpetrators of intrafamilial homicide other than FIPH. Between 1975 and 2005, 32FIPH were perpetrated in the region of Angers (France), and these were compared to 26intrafamilial homicides other than FIPH and to 97extrafamilial homicides perpetrated in the same period, in the same region. The socio-demographic, clinical and criminological data were collected from psychiatric expert reports and medical files. The mean age of the FIPH perpetrators was 37.8years. They were professionally active, in majority as manual workers. They had a psychiatric record (69%), a previous criminal record (31%), and a history of violence against others (47%). Half of these perpetrators also had experienced a traumatic event before the age of 18. Compared to extrafamilial homicide perpetrators, FIPH perpetrators occupied more frequently a manual job and had prior criminal records less frequently. In the majority of cases of FIPH and intrafamilial homicide, the murder occurred in the evening, at the victim's home, and while the perpetrator was intoxicated. FIPH was mostly premeditated and was accompanied four times less frequently by another criminal behaviour compared to extrafamilial homicide. The FIPH perpetrators had more depressive symptoms and suicidal ideations when committing the crime and remained on the crime scene more often than extrafamilial homicide perpetrators who mostly attempted to flee the crime scene. FIPH perpetrators and extra- and intrafamilial homicide perpetrators were found criminally responsible in half of the cases. The socio-demographic, clinical and criminological characteristics of FIPH perpetrators were not statistically different from those of perpetrators of another intrafamilial homicide except that conflict preceded FIPH more frequently. Identification of specific features of FIPH could contribute to the early identification of domestic violence at risk of becoming lethal and to the elaboration of preventive strategies.

Identification and Referral to Improve Safety (IRIS) of women experiencing domestic violence with a primary care training and support programme: a cluster randomised controlled trial

Most clinicians have no training about domestic violence, fail to identify patients experiencing abuse, and are uncertain about management after disclosure. We tested the effectiveness of a programme of training and support in primary health-care practices to increase identification of women experiencing domestic violence and their referral to specialist advocacy services. In this cluster randomised controlled trial, we selected general practices in two urban primary care trusts, Hackney (London) and Bristol, UK. Practices in which investigators from this trial were employed or those who did not use electronic records were excluded. Practices were stratified by proportion of female doctors, postgraduate training status, number of patients registered, and percentage of practice population on low incomes. Within every primary care trust area, we randomised practices with a computer-minimisation programme with a random component to intervention or control groups. The intervention programme included practice-based training sessions, a prompt within the medical record to ask about abuse, and a referral pathway to a named domestic violence advocate, who also delivered the training and further consultancy. The primary outcome was recorded referral of patients to domestic violence advocacy services. The prespecified secondary outcome was recorded identification of domestic violence in the electronic medical records of the general practice. Poisson regression analyses accounting for clustering were done for all practices receiving the intervention. Practice staff and research associates were not masked and patients were not aware they were part of a study. This study is registered at Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN74012786. We randomised 51 (61%) of 84 eligible general practices in Hackney and Bristol. Of these, 24 received a training and support programme, 24 did not receive the programme, and three dropped out before the trial started. 1 year after the second training session, the 24 intervention practices recorded 223 referrals of patients to advocacy and the 24 control practices recorded 12 referrals (adjusted intervention rate ratio 22·1 [95% CI 11·5-42·4]). Intervention practices recorded 641 disclosures of domestic violence and control practices recorded 236 (adjusted intervention rate ratio 3·1 [95% CI 2·2-4·3). No adverse events were recorded. A training and support programme targeted at primary care clinicians and administrative staff improved referral to specialist domestic violence agencies and recorded identification of women experiencing domestic violence. Our findings reduce the uncertainty about the benefit of training and support interventions in primary care settings for domestic violence and show that screening of women patients for domestic violence is not a necessary condition for improved identification and referral to advocacy services. Health Foundation.

“I made her realise that I could be there for her, that I could support her”: Child Protection Practices with Women in Domestic Violence Cases

This article presents findings from a study that investigated child protection policies and practices, and focuses on data gathered in a child protection agency located in Quebec, Canada. This research project draws upon a qualitative case-study methodology, involving a documentary analysis of both national and local child protection policies, as well as semi-structured individual interviews with child protection front-line workers and front-line managers, managers and reviewing officers. Although the dominant pattern that emerged in the data suggests that child protection workers tend to focus on abused women's actions and to blame them for “failing to protect” their children, this article emphasises practices where the research participants had managed to avoid mother-blaming when working with these women. Indeed, the findings suggest that child protection workers can avoid mother-blaming when working with abused women, despite shortfalls in policies, procedures and resources. Such practices include recognising that there are two victims in domestic violence situations, building a trusting relationship, providing emotional and practical support, and balancing risk and safety. These four dimensions are interrelated and they all require a clear identification of domestic violence, as well as a good understanding of the problem and its impacts. To emphasise individual workers’ positive practices with women in domestic violence situations should not be used to minimise the importance of more structural changes in child protection policies and practices. This would include challenging the tendency to focus on women and finding more effective ways to engage with abusive men throughout child protection procedures in order to challenge their violent behaviours. However, it could lead to an approach that is more sensitive to domestic violence and that has the potential to alleviate the workers’ feelings of powerlessness and frustration in relation to their work with families where there has been domestic violence.

Increasing identification of domestic violence in emergency departments: A collaborative contribution to increasing the quality of practice of emergency nurses

This project was initiated to improve the quality of identification and response practices of Emergency Department (ED) nursing staff dealing with possible victims of domestic violence (DV). Nursing staff were trained to identify three key actions in the pathway for domestic violence presentations in the ED. A survey of ED staff was taken pre-training to determine a base-line measure of self-reported knowledge regarding domestic violence policies and practices. The survey was re-administered 1 month and 6 months post-training. A file audit was also undertaken prior to and following the training. Results show the training improved the nurses’ confidence, practice and skills in the identification of, and response to, domestic violence, particularly in relation to children. ED nurses are well placed to identify and respond to domestic violence as the ED provides a gateway into health services for women and their children. This paper reports on a participatory action research project which aimed to improve quality and practice around DV for ED staff. The dissemination of the results in this paper are considered to be essential to health services due to dearth of information and research about best practice initiatives for responding to and recognizing domestic violence in the ED.

Domestic violence and severe psychiatric disorders: prevalence and interventions

The lifetime prevalence of domestic violence in women is 20-25%. There is increasing recognition of the increased vulnerability of psychiatric populations to domestic violence. We therefore aimed to review studies on the prevalence of, and the evidence for the effectiveness of interventions in, psychiatric patients experiencing domestic violence. Literature search using Medline, PsycINFO and EMBASE applying the following inclusion criteria: English-language papers, data provided on the prevalence of or interventions for domestic violence, adults in contact with mental health services. Reported lifetime prevalence of severe domestic violence among psychiatric in-patients ranged from 30% to 60%. Lower rates are reported for men when prevalence is reported by gender. No controlled studies were identified. Low rates of detection of domestic violence occur in routine clinical practice and there is some evidence that, when routine enquiry is introduced into services, detection rates improve, but identification of domestic violence is rarely used in treatment planning. There is a lack of evidence on the effectiveness of routine enquiry in terms of morbidity and mortality, and there have been no studies investigating specific domestic violence interventions for psychiatric patients. There is a high prevalence of domestic violence in psychiatric populations but the extent of the increased risk in psychiatric patients compared with other populations is not clear because of the limitations of the methodology used in the studies identified. There is also very limited evidence on how to address domestic violence with respect to the identification and provision of evidence-based interventions in mental health services.

To screen or not to screen: identification of domestic violence in Canadian emergency departments

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Domestic violence management in Malaysia: A survey on the primary health care providers

AimTo assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of primary health care providers regarding the identification and management of domestic violence in a hospital based primary health care setting.MethodA survey of all clinicians and nursing staff of the outpatient, casualty and antenatal clinics in University Malaya Medical Centre using a self-administered questionnaire.ResultsHundred and eight out of 188 available staff participated. Sixty-two percent of the clinicians and 66.9% of the nursing staff perceived the prevalence of domestic violence within their patients to be very rare or rare. Majority of the clinicians (68.9%) reported asking their patients regarding domestic violence 'at times' but 26.2% had never asked at all. Time factor, concern about offending the patient and unsure of how to ask were reported as barriers in asking for domestic violence by 66%, 52.5% and 32.8% of the clinicians respectively. Clinicians have different practices and levels of confidence within the management of domestic violence. Victim-blaming attitude exists in 28% of the clinicians and 51.1% of the nursing staff. Less than a third of the participants reported knowing of any written protocol for domestic violence management. Only 20% of the clinicians and 6.8% of the nursing staff had ever attended any educational program related to domestic violence.ConclusionLack of positive attitude and positive practices among the staff towards domestic violence identification and management might be related to inadequate knowledge and inappropriate personal values regarding domestic violence.

Systematic review of the perceptions and experiences of accessing health services by adult victims of domestic violence

This systematic review synthesizes evidence on the perceptions and experiences of adult victims of domestic violence when accessing healthcare services. The review was concerned with disclosure of domestic violence by adult victims when accessing health services, the responses of healthcare professionals to these victims, victims' perceived barriers to support, and the appropriateness of support and referrals. These aims required the review to focus on studies using in-depth qualitative methods to explore victims' perceptions and experiences. A comprehensive systematic search of 12 databases was carried out in June/July 2005. Application of the review protocol and inclusion criteria resulted in 10 studies (conducted in the UK, USA and Australia) being considered eligible for the review. Data were extracted from these studies and a quality assessment completed. Thematic analysis was carried out to enable the identification of recurrent themes within the included studies. Findings indicate that victims of domestic violence experience difficulties when accessing healthcare services. Victims perceive that these difficulties can be attributed to inappropriate responses by healthcare professionals, discomfort with the healthcare environment, perceived barriers to disclosing domestic violence, and a lack of confidence in the outcomes of disclosure to a health professional. The methodological quality of included studies was variable, but no papers were rejected based on quality issues. These results can contribute to and inform a comprehensive assessment of the experiences of adult victims of domestic violence when accessing healthcare services. The health service is in a unique position to contribute towards the assessment and identification of domestic violence and to provide access to appropriate support. The messages of this study are important for policy-makers and practitioners.

Current view of sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence

To review single aspects, which involve sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence, giving subsidies for accurate diagnosis and management, emphasizing the short and long-term consequences. National and international literature review of the MEDLINE and LILACS databases, using abuse and sexual violence as keywords (1988 to 2005), in addition to the authors theoretical and practical experiences. Sexual abuse has a great impact on child and adolescent physical and mental health, affecting development and causing lifelong damage. Its early detection allows for adequate treatment and follow-up, with minimum consequences. Family involvement must be taken into consideration, and any kind of improper relationship should be evaluated and treated, so that it can be discouraged and eliminated; otherwise, intergenerational abuse will result and probably recur. The identification of domestic violence and of physical and psychological warning signs concerning sexual abuse is part of the general evaluation. Pediatricians should be able to identify the signs and symptoms sexually abused children and adolescents carry with them. They have to listen carefully to the patients, perform the necessary clinical examination and establish the proper treatment. They should also be able to deal with psychological aspects and have enough knowledge about the laws and about legal and social protection measures, which are always very useful in assisting victims of sexual violence.