Stunning New Report May Change How You Look At Domestic Violence Treatment

A troubling new study shows a common method used to detect and help victims of domestic violence may be ineffective — and may prove just how crucial doctor intervention could be in aiding abuse victims.

Researchers from the Center for Disease Control studied the efficacy of computerized domestic violence questionnaires, according to Reuters, testing not only how well the electronic quizzes were at detecting abuse but also how capable they were at providing help. In the tests, women were asked a series of questions about intimate partner abuse. If their answers indicated a high likelihood of abuse, they were offered information and resources (again, electronically) on domestic abuse.

It seems more than a little callous to send a high-risk, potential domestic abuse victim out the door with little more than an e-guide to escaping intimate partner violence. That alone should be proof that this method stinks. And the results showed as much, according to Reuters:

In follow-up telephone interviews, researchers found that one in seven women had recently experienced intimate partner violence before the start of the study. And the majority of them continued to be abused a year later, regardless of whether or not they were screened by computer or received the resource list.

In the effort to prevent domestic violence, no approach should be overlooked. And while we’ve bristled at the invasion of privacy that comes with some domestic violence screening initiatives, this report is damning proof that a person-to-person approach here is needed.

TAGS: domestic violence

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