Responding to intimate partner violence: what role for general practice?
Year: 2006
Type: article
Abstract: The high prevalence of violence perpetrated by men against their wives, partners and girlfriends is now recognised around the world and is rooted in gender inequality.1 In general practice based studies, physical or sexual abuse in the last 12 months ranges from 6–23% and lifetime prevalence from 21–55% of women patients.2 Although female violence against their male partners is also a reality, the severity and coercive control3 typical of male violence, dwarfs violence by women. Intimate partner violence, which may be physical, sexual or emotional, is a major public health problem because of the long-term health consequences for women who have experienced it and for their children who witness the overt violence and coercion.
It does not follow that there is necessarily a specific role for health services in responding to the problem, other than the management of acute injuries and treatment of the long term sequelae of abuse, such as chronic pain, gynaecological problems, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder.4 After all, there are many social and economic problems, like overcrowded housing or poverty, that have powerful individual and public health consequences, for which there is no specific preventive role for healthcare professionals. The difference with partner violence lies in the fact that many women experiencing abuse believe that their doctor can be trusted with disclosure …
Source: PubMed Central
Author: Gene Feder
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1497702213