DOMESTIC VIOLENCE EXPERIENCED BY WOMEN ATTENDING AN ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

The aim of the study was to establish the extent and severity of domes tic violence experienced by women attending the accident and emergency department of a large teaching hospital in Newcastle. The data were c ollected over a five-week period in 1992. All women between 17 and 80 years, attending the emergency or ambulatory areas between 8 a.m. and midnight, were asked to complete a confidential structured interview. A total of 401 women participated in the study, representing 82 per ce nt of eligible women approached. Each participant was asked if she had ever been physically hurt by someone close to her. Questions were ask ed to determine the relationship to the perpetrator, the type and caus e of injury, treatment necessary and help sought Seven (1.7 per cent, 95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 0.46 to 3.02) of the women survey ed were attending the hospital as a direct result of an incident of do mestic violence, and 100 women (25 per cent, CI 21 to 29) had experien ced domestic violence at some time. Bruising, fractures and cuts were the most common forms of injury, with the most common locations being the head, face and chest. Weapons, such as guns and knives, were used in 20 per cent of the incidents. A considerable number of the women (6 8 per cent) did not seek help at the time of their injuries. As a subs tantial proportion of women have experienced domestic violence in thei r lives, accident and emergency workers should receive training in rec ognising and assisting victims of domestic violence.