ABC of Domestic and Sexual Violence

Domestic and sexual violence is becoming a more openly discussed and disclosed subject, however, not all health professionals are equipped with the knowledge to support and signpost the person(s) affected. Indeed, many may not feel confident in being able to identify individuals subjected to abuse. The information should be clear and practical and this is where this book fits in. The ABC of domestic and sexual violence presents a practical guide suitable for all health care professionals, with contributors from a wide range of professions adding to the multidisciplinary remit of the publication. It is one in a series of ABC books all aiming to provide knowledge and information on a variety of topics in a practical and easily understood format. This book is of particular relevance to midwives and others working with women and with men being the perpetrator. However, this is not exclusive to women and can affect the whole age spectrum and as midwives we come in contact with a range of people, from newborns through to grandparents and even great grandparents. It is therefore our duty to be vigilant for signs of abuse and to be able to act upon such information. The chapters within the book discuss the different ways people are affected, including same sex situations and female genital mutilation. It also gives guidance on how to identify domestic abuse and violence, varying types of abuse and the impact it has on the abused. I particularly like the layout of the book with the inclusion of boxes with guidance of what to do, ask and consider in certain situations and the case studies give insight into real situations that the reader may come across in practice. Some of the case study scenarios may resonate with experiences already encountered by the reader these are good to reflect upon and consider if the action taken was appropriate or whether situations could have been handled differently. The final chapters discuss how we can move forward and develop care pathways within the health service and how to build these services into future careers. It is acknowledged that, although teaching on the subject of domestic abuse is not always integral to all undergraduate training, there are various ways of gaining this information at a later stage. The appendix contains some useful resources including a risk-identification checklist. I would highly recommend this book to students and qualified professionals that are inexperienced in the knowledge of domestic abuse and sexual violence. It contains valuable information in every chapter and once read should be kept as a useful resource to turn to when working in the field of health care. (Cathy Ashwin, Principal Editor, MIDIRS Midwifery Digest 26:1, 2016) This excellent text skilfully addresses the topic of domestic and sexual violence, thoroughly yet concisely, within a slim A4 volume of 26 short chapters. Domestic and sexual violence is a daunting area for most clinicians. It is ubiquitous yet concealed, requiring knowledge, skill, commitment and sensitivity to tackle it, based on awareness that it may underpin the patients presenting complaints. Written in an authoritative yet user-friendly style, this book deftly leads the reader through all aspects of the subject, anticipating and addressing the concerns faced by all clinicians, notably in the field of legal practice. Reference to the burden of disease sheds new light on the topic, pointing out analogies to physical illness and injury, supported by scholarly references. One particular strength of this book is its breadth of vision, including in its remit safeguarding, child protection and mental health, as well as topics less commonly-addressed, such as elder abuse and the role of the dental practitioner in recognising the significance of facial injuries. Yet despite this, the book does not neglect its core areas, namely General Practice, Accident & Emergency, Sexual Health and Obstetrics & Gynaeco

Susan Bewley is Professor of Complex Obstetrics, Division of Women's Health, King's College London, and Women's Health Academic Centre, King's Health Partners (KHP), St Thomas' Hospital, London Jan Welch is Director, South Thames Foundation School, and Deputy Dean for Foundation Training, Sherman Centre, Guy's Hospital, London, UK

Contributors vii Foreword ix Sir George Alberti Introduction xi Susan Bewley and JanWelch 1 The Epidemiology of Gender-Based Violence 1 Gene Feder and Emma Howarth 2 Culture and Violence 5 Marai Larasi 3 Domestic Violence and Abuse 9 Fiona Duxbury 4 The Impact of Trauma 17 Gwen Adshead 5 Children 21 Andrea Goddard 6 Sexual Assault of Men and Boys 27 Michael King 7 Identifying Domestic Violence and Abuse 30 Alex Sohal and Medina Johnson 8 Community-Based Responses to Domestic Violence 37 Nicole Biros 9 Sources of Referral and Support for Domestic Violence 41 Jackie Barron 10 Perpetrators 46 Colin Fitzgerald and Jo Todd 11 General Practice 50 Emmeline Brew-Graves 12 Emergency Medicine and Surgical Specialities 54 Lindsey Stevens 13 Elder Abuse 59 Finbarr C. Martin 14 The Dental Team 62 Tim Newton and Rasha Al Dabaan 15 Mental Health Services 64 Eleanor Turner Moss and Louise M. Howard 16 Womens, Reproductive and Sexual Health Services 69 Maureen Dalton 17 Female Genital Mutilation 72 Sarah M. Creighton 18 Sexual Violence:What to Consider First 74 CatherineWhite 19 Rape and Sexual Assault: Medical and Psychosocial Care 82 Hannah Loftus and Karen Rogstad 20 Documenting in the Notes 87 Ali Mears 21 Law and Prosecuting Practice in Relation to Serious Sexual Assaults and Domestic Violence 90 Wendy Cottee 22 Writing a Statement as a ProfessionalWitness 93 Bernadette Butler 23 Going to Court 97 Bernadette Butler 24 Violation of Professional Boundaries 100 Fiona Subotsky 25 Moving Forward: Developing Care Pathways within the Health Service 103 Loraine J. Bacchus 26 Moving Forward: Pursuing a Career and Implementing Better Services 106 Maureen Dalton Appendix A Useful Resources 109 Appendix B CAADA-DASH Risk Identification Checklist 111 Index 115