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Along with the physical and psychological signs of abuse there may be
other indicators that a woman is experiencing domestic violence:
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The woman appears
evasive/embarrassed/nervous or ashamed.
-
She may be in denial
of the abuse.
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The injuries are
present on areas of the body usually covered by clothing.
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injuries.
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Explanation of
injuries do not correlate with objective evidence.
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The woman may always
be accompanied by her partner or another person.
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She may seem nervous
or afraid of her partner.
Raising
the question
GPs are quite often the first port of call for women seeking help when in
an abusive relationship. The manner in which the GP or other health
professional responds to a woman’s attempt to seek help to change her
situation can make an immense difference to her life and that of her
children.
You should talk to the woman alone and stress confidentiality issues.
When questioning show a caring, non-judgemental attitude.
Enabling women to disclose abuse may be difficult. Initially you should
try to approach the issue of domestic violence by asking
non-threatening/in-direct questions in an empathetic manner. This should
help build a relationship of trust with the woman.
Examples of indirect
questions
If the woman affirms that there are problems at home or gives an answer
that suggest that she may be living with domestic violence, it is
important to ask more direct questions. The questions asked will depend
on the individual circumstances but here are a few examples.
Direct questions
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Are you frightened
of your partner?
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Do you feel unsafe
at home?
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How did you get
those injuries?
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Has your partner
ever hurt you physically?
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Has your partner
used threatening and controlling behaviour towards you?
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Has your partner
ever hurt your children?
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