Risk Of Domestic Violence Research Articles

Screening for domestic violence among patients admitted to a French emergency service

Objective. The authors assessed the prevalence of domestic violence among patients examined in the emergency service of a general hospital. They compared the socio-demographic status and psychiatric comorbidity of victims of domestic violence and other patients. Method. An assessment was made on 126 consecutive patients received by the emergency service of Bichat-Claude Bernard hospital (Paris, France). Assessment of domestic violence was made through the use of a specific questionnaire. Results. The prevalence rate of domestic violence was 18% among patients examined by the emergency service. Thirty-five percent of the cases were physical violence, 22% sexual violence, 17% psychological violence and 26% multiple forms of domestic violence. Domestic violence had been going on for less than 1 month in only one case. In 74% of the cases, violence lasted for more than 1 year. No differences were found in terms of socio-demographic characteristics (age, marital status, rate of unemployment, sex ratio) and psychiatric comorbidity between victims of domestic violence and others. Conclusion. Patients seen in an emergency service must be identified as a population at risk for domestic violence (18%). These situations can be identified only by a systematic assessment using a standardized questionnaire.

Understanding domestic violence against women: using evolutionary psychology to extend the feminist functional analysis.

Evolutionary psychologists such as Wilson and Daly (1993b) hypothesize that one goal of male-perpetrated domestic violence is control over female sexuality, including the deterrence of infidelity. According to this hypothesis, domestic violence varies with women's reproductive value or expected future reproduction, declining steeply as women age. We tested this hypothesis with a sample of 3,969 cases of male-perpetrated partner-abuse reported to a single police precinct in a large urban area over a 14-year period. Results show that (a) rates of domestic violence decrease as women age, (b) younger men are at greatest risk for perpetrating domestic violence, (c) younger, reproductive age women incur nearly 10 times the risk of domestic violence as do older, post-reproductive age women, and (d) the greater risk of domestic violence incurred by reproductive age women is not attributable solely to mateship to younger, more violent men. Discussion addresses theoretical implications of these findings and suggests a refinement of the feminist hypothesis of domestic violence against women.

Screening for risk of domestic violence within HIV partner notification: evolving practice and emerging issues.

Screening for risk of domestic violence within HIV partner notification: evolving practice and emerging issues.

'Risk Of Harm' And Domestic Violence: An Issue For The Family Court?

Sheila Mosley considers how the Family Courts utilise the 'welfare checklist' to address the risk of harm to children exposed to domestic violence. She uses the results of a small-scale survey to illustrate her contention that an over-emphasis on notions of 'justice' and 'evidence-led' practice is increasing the risk of harm to children. She argues that this should be substituted with a more discursive and speculative approach to report writing.

Identifying Domestic Violence Within Inpatient Hospital Admissions Using Medical Records

ABSTRACT This paper examines incidences of domestic violence among hospitalized patients identified as being victims of domestic violence. Specifically, we focus on defining the type and cost of domestic violence and identifying demographic characteristics of individuals at risk for domestic violence. Data for this paper were abstracted from the 1994 HCUP-3 data set. Findings from these data suggest that identifying incidences of domestic violence is very complex and difficult. The primary diagnosis of those who are victims of domestic violence range from broken bones and bruises to chronic and acute illness to mental illness. Finally, non-white populations are approximately two times more likely to be identified as victims of physical violence than whites and as age increases the likelihood of being identified as a victim of physical violence decreases.

Examining Patterns of Vulnerability to Domestic Violence Among African American Women

The study discussed in this article explored the relationship between child abuse and neglect, other traumatic events, background variables, and HIV status as they relate to the continuum of conflict in adulthood, specifically verbal conflict and physical abuse that can increase women's risk for domestic violence. The sample included 135 African American women, ages 19 to 61, of mixed HIV serostatus. Almost half of the women reported both physical and verbal conflict and moderate to severe levels of physical abuse with current or recent intimate partners. Simple correlations and multiple regressions revealed that women with histories of child abuse were more likely to experience partner violence as adults. Other traumatic events were not associated with partner violence. Income and HIV status were related to specific patterns of partner violence. The influence that early experiences have on African American women eventually entering abusive adult intimate relationships is discussed.

A Review of Domestic Violence Risk Instruments

The problem of domestic violence has been well documented with respect to its social, psychological, and economic costs. Proactive arrest and sentencing policies have resulted in an increasing, and in some cases, overwhelming number of spousal batterers being processed through the criminal justice system. Scarce correctional and treatment resources necessitate that difficult decisions be made about the management of domestic violence perpetrators. In an effort to make better decisions, many jurisdictions have adopted a risk assessment approach. Spousal assault risk assessment now serves to inform those making decisions about sentencing (e.g., community release vs. incarceration), treatment placement, and supervision intensity. With these developments, researchers and clinicians have begun to discuss the appropriate content and process of spousal assault risk assessment. There have been a number of efforts in recent years to develop theoretically and scientifically sound risk assessment instruments and procedures. This article attempts to review state-of-the-art instruments in this rapidly expanding field.

Risk for domestic violence: factors associated with perpetration and victimization.

The extent and potential dangerousness of the problem of domestic violence warrants systematic screening and assessment in all mental health settings. Few empirical studies have approached the question of domestic violence with the aim of identifying risk markers, making it impossible to identify a particular characteristic or set of characteristics that can be used to identify individuals at risk for perpetrating or becoming the victims of domestic violence. However, there are a number of factors that have been identified as correlates of domestic violence that may eventually prove useful for identifying individuals at risk, but the extant literature does not provide the empirical support at this time. Because many of these correlates may be brought to the attention of mental health and medical professionals (e.g., depression, substance use/abuse, physical injuries) and given the absence of established risk factors for domestic violence, there is a need for clinicians to systematically assess for violence among all of their patients. By identifying factors that might help clinicians realize that many of their patients are at risk for domestic violence, we hope to encourage them to attend to this potentially dangerous problem. Ongoing assessment in the context of knowledge regarding correlates of domestic violence can provide important information for evaluating risk of a particular violent incident. In addition, we outline strategies for assessing violence and violence risk in both perpetrators and victims in order to assist clinicians in approaching this difficult topic in a clinical setting. A careful assessment of the potential for violence within clients' ongoing relationships is necessary for clinicians to provide appropriate clinical care.

Assessing the Risk of Severe Domestic Violence

The findings of this study contribute to the discussion about the best method for predicting the recurrence of severe domestic violence. The findings are from a secondary data analysis comparing the accuracy of 177 domestic violence survivors' predictions of reassault to risk factors supported by previous research. The survivors' predictions were associated with recurrence of severe violence in a bivariate analysis. These predictions also added significantly to the accuracy of established risk factors in two multivariate equations predicting severe reassault within a 4-month period. Although not all of the survivors made accurate predictions, this research supports the use of survivors' predictions as an important element that should be included in risk prediction.

Mandatory Reporting Laws Do Not Deter Patients From Seeking Medical Care

Study objective: As of March 1994, 45 states had laws that, to varying extents, required health practitioners to report cases of domestic violence (DV). Colorado passed a mandatory DV reporting law in 1995. Laws that mandate police involvement in cases of DV injuries have been criticized because of concerns that these laws deter victims from seeking medical care. We hypothesized that these laws would deter DV victims from seeking medical care. Methods: A questionnaire was administered in 3 stages: stage 1, convenience time blocks at 2 emergency departments and a primary care clinic; stage 2, prospective randomized blocks at an inner-city ED; and stage 3, a targeted population of women at risk for DV. All English-speaking, noncritical adult patients who presented during the time blocks were eligible to participate. Results: Five hundred seventy-seven patients participated; 55% of the patients were aware of the mandatory DV reporting law. Twenty-seven percent of the patients would be more likely to seek medical care because of this law. Only 12% of patients stated that they would be less likely to seek medical care for a DV-related injury because of this law (15% of men and 9% of women; P =.001). There was no difference between ED patients and targeted female patients at risk for DV in seeking medical care ( P =.833). Conclusion: Only rarely did mandatory reporting laws appear to adversely affect a patient’s decisions to seek medical care in this study. The benefits of mandatory reporting must be measured to assure that they justify deterrence to a small minority of patients. [Houry D, Feldhaus K, Thorson AC, Abbott J: Mandatory reporting laws do not deter patients from seeking medical care. Ann Emerg Med September 1999;34:336-341.]

Risk of domestic violence after flood impact: Effects of social support, age, and history of domestic violence

Community professionals observed an increase in domestic violence during the aftermath of the 1997 Grand Forks flood. In the past, research has documented emotional symptoms which result from natural disaster, and separate studies have observed domestic violence to result from these same emotional symptoms. No research was found, however, specifically on the effects of natural disaster on domestic violence. The purpose of the current study was to test the effects of a model of variables on domestic violence, including flood impact, the emotional symptoms, as well as other intervening variables which might act as a buffer against the effects of flood impact. Results of this cross-sectional survey of 140 Grand Forks adults indicated that domestic violence was significantly greater among respondents after the flood. Flood impact led to increased levels of anxiety, depression, and hostility. Whether these emotional symptoms subsequently led to increased domestic violence depended on the level of social support, the age of the respondent, and whether he/she had a history of domestic violence before the flood. Those with lower social support, the elderly, and those with a prior history of violence were most affected. The results have implications for work with the elderly, with domestic violence treatment and prevention programs, and with communities affected by flood.

The risk of domestic violence and women with HIV infection: implications for partner notification, public policy, and the law.

Partner notification has emerged as an important strategy in the fight against acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and states have now adopted a plethora of laws that encourage or mandate notification, often without the patient's consent. As human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection continues to spread among women, the future development of AIDS control strategies and public health laws must be shaped by concern for the safety and autonomy of patients who face a risk of domestic violence. Three distinct recommendations flow from this premise. First, all HIV-infected women should be assessed for the risk of domestic violence and offered appropriate interventions. Second, where a risk of abuse is indicated, partners should never be notified without the patient's consent. State laws that presently permit involuntary notification should be repealed or amended. Third, laws that punish a patient's refusal to notify partners should also be modified or repealed.

Battered Women's Concerns About Their Children Witnessing Wife Assault

There is growing evidence that behavioral disturbances, attitudes condoning violence, and a risk of future domestic violence are elevated among children who have witnessed wife assault. This article reports on interviews with 20 assaulted women about their concerns for their children and how these concerns affected the decision to leave the assailant. Fifty-five percent of the women's children had witnessed violence, and 90% had become involved in the physical or psychological abuse in some way, even after separation. Fifty-five percent of the women left because of the risks to their children. Forty-five percent saw wife assault as a learned behavior, which helped to maintain the decision to leave. The implications for expanding interventions available to the children of assaulted women are considered.

Tools Available for Health Care Providers Whose Patients Are at Risk for Domestic Violence

HEALTH CARE providers may be the first and only professionals in a position to recognize violence in their patients' lives. Physicians are advised to routinely discuss the problem of domestic violence with their female patients and make available written material with resource information. Resources for Patients The Michigan Coalition Against Domestic Violence provides information packets to health care providers nationwide that include brochures and stickers for use in the office. Physicians who use these materials say they cannot keep enough on hand. All the materials may be reproduced. (Write the Michigan Coalition Against Domestic Violence, PO Box 463100, Mount Clemens, MI 48046, or telephone (313) 954-1180.) The best place to display the brochures is in the examination room, and not the lobby, says Sherrie Eisele, advocate/volunteer coordinator for Woman-Kind. If the brochures are in the lobby, Eisele explains, the woman has to walk across the room and pick up a

Tools available for health care providers whose patients are at risk for domestic violence

Tools available for health care providers whose patients are at risk for domestic violence