Citation

Black S, Hausman A, Dempsey SH, Davis MB, Robbins S. Fam. Violence Prev. Health Pract. 2009; 1(8): online.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Family Violence Prevention Fund)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Childhood exposure to domestic violence (CEDV) is associated with a number of both acute and chronic illnesses. The link to illness provides opportunities for disease prevention and intervention by healthcare providers. This mixed methods study sought to document experiences, perceptions, and attitudes toward domestic violence (DV) and concerns about discussing DV with healthcare providers. Women (n=99) from four community health centers completed an anonymous survey. Fifty-one percent of women reported abuse perpetrated against their mother, 61% reported verbal abuse, physical abuse, or forced sexual contact perpetrated by an intimate partner in their own lifetime, and 55% reported that their child was exposed to violence in the home. The most common type of exposure identified was when the child heard but did not see the incident. Women with a history of personal experiences with DV victimization were more likely to report CEDV as a child than were women with no history of victimization [OR=11.56; X2 (1, n=99)=27.3, p<.001]. Results show intergenerational trends of female victimization and identify the need for a systematic approach to helping families suffering from DV.