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Domestic Violence Listen to a 7-Minute Audio Lecture (6 MB MP3 File) Domestic Partner Abuse Physical abuse of intimate partners is much more common than most people believe. 8% of women will report of history of such violence, while 29% will report such a history, if asked. Intimate Partner Abuse encompasses child abuse, elder abuse, and both male and female partner physical abuse. Elder Abuse Domestic elder abuse is the maltreatment of an older person by someone within a domestic relationship. Institutional abuse is committed by individuals in residential facilities against the older person. There are 7 forms of elder abuse:
Elder abuse is common, with over 250,000 new cases reported each year. Reported cases are estimated to comprise about 20% of the actual cases of elder abuse. Elder abuse may occur in a number of ways:
Risk factors for elder abuse include:
Every state has agencies designated to help resolve cases of elder abuse. In many states, the Adult Protective Services agency will serve this role. Other local agencies may also help. For further information, contact the National Center on Elder Abuse at www.ncea.aoa.gov or call the Elder Abuse Helplines and Hotlines at 1-800-677-1116. Child Abuse It is estimated that over 1.5 million children in the United States will be victims of some form of child abuse each year. Risk factors include:
Child abuse spans not only Physical, sexual and emotional abuse, but also Neglect, or the failure to meet a child’s basic needs of housing, food, clothing, education and access to medical care. Children are never to blame for the harm others inflict on them. But certain risk factors increase the likelihood of child abuse occurring.
To report a concern about possible child abuse, contact the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD, or get more information at Child Welfare Information Gateway, www.childwelfare.gov Dating Partner Abuse About half of women report dating relationships that involve some degree of violence. Among adolescents, the rate is higher with about one in four reporting extreme violence, including rape or the use of weapons. Three common types of dating violence occur among teenagers.
Dating violence may have lasting effects. Teenage victims are more likely to do poorly in school, and engage in unhealthy behaviors, like drug and alcohol use. Anger and stress may lead to eating disorders and or depression. Some teenage victims consider suicide. Physically abused teens are three times more likely than their non-abused peers to experience violence during college.
People who harm their dating partners are more depressed, have lower self-esteem, and are more aggressive than their peers. Other warning signs for dating violence include:
For
additional online information, go to
National
Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center,
Screening for Intimate Partner Abuse There are a number of good ways to screen for this problem. Among them are these questions:
Victims of intimate partner abuse will sometimes answer these questions "no" even though they should answer them "yes." Reasons for this response include:
Risk Assessment If you believe the patient may be a victim of partner abuse, it is important to assess her degree of risk, particularly in these areas:
Make sure the patient is aware that help is available and effective. Ultimately, there are resolutions to this problem, including counseling, temporary or permanent separation, and removal of the abuser through judicial proceedings. Provide her with a list of resources, including law enforcement, local shelters, child protective agencies, and telephone hotlines. Some women keep copies of these phone numbers on a small piece of paper that they wear inside their shoes, hidden from sight but always available. I’d like to leave you with points of contact for four groups who can provide more information and help you with this difficult but serious problem:
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This information is provided by The Brookside Associates, a private organization, not affiliated with any governmental agency. The opinions presented here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Brookside Associates. The patients presented and discussed here are fictitious and are merely representative of clinical conditions. Any resemblence to real patients is purely coincidental and not intentional. For any clinical condition, many alternative diagnostic and therapeutic efforts may give satisfactory or superior results. The clinical approaches presented here are not intended to reflect and do not reflect the only way to provide good care for these patients. This information is provided solely for educational purposes. The practice of medicine and surgery is regulated by statute and restricted to licensed professionals and those in training under supervision. Performing medical procedures outside of that setting is a bad idea, is not recommended, and may be illegal. The presence of any advertising on these pages does not constitute an endorsement of that product or service by the Brookside Associates. C. 2010 All Rights Reserved |