NCJ Number
144224
Date Published
1992
Length
19 pages
Annotation
These guidelines are intended to help physicians understand the magnitude of domestic violence, identify abuse and violence through routine screening and recognition of clinical presentations, assess the impact of abuse on patients' health and well-being, help women patients explore their options for action, and gain familiarity with community resources and legal aspects of medical care, including reporting requirements.
Abstract
Conservative studies estimate that 2 million women per year are assaulted by their partners, but experts believe the true incidence is closer to 4 million cases per year. Clinical studies underscore the prevalence of domestic violence and its relationship to continued trauma and medical and psychiatric problems. Domestic violence can take the form of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. During a medical interview, the physician should ask the woman patient questions in his or her own words and in a nonjudgmental way. Diagnosis and clinical findings are discussed here in terms of injuries, medical findings, mental health symptoms, and behavioral signs. These guidelines also cover interventions, barriers to identification, documentation, legal developments, risk management, and trends in treatment and prevention.