Barriers within the health care system to dealing with sexualized violence: a literature review

The aim of this study was to review the literature about possible barriers to recognition and intervention regarding women exposed to sexualized viole nce, in their interactions with the health care system. The barriers, as re ported by the health care staff, were. lack of education: the stereotype of a "typical battered woman"; too close identification with the victim/abuse r; time constraints; fear of offending the victim/abuser; and feelings of h opelessness and non-responsibility. The barriers, as reported by the victim s, were: negative experiences of and structural limitations within the heal th care system; fear of retaliation from the abusive partner. and psycholog ical effects of the normalization process. We conclude that the barriers wi thin the health carl sector have to be dealt with on three different levels . the structural level in order to diminish male power in society; the orga nizational level in order to initiate screening and to allow the staff time for dealing with the victims; and on the individual level, health care sta ff need to acquire the knowledge and skills to enable them to address sexua lized violence.