Barriers and Facilitators of Disclosing Domestic Violence to the UK Health Service

Abstract

Domestic violence victims frequently visit health care facilities yet rarely disclose, so it is important to understand what factors are barriers and facilitators of disclosure. UK-based qualitative investigations into barriers and facilitators of disclosure in health care settings have suffered from a limited focus on ethnic minority women. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore victims’ perceptions and experiences of disclosing to health care services and to identify barriers and facilitators of disclosure within an ethnically diverse UK sample. Semi-structured interviews were administered among 29 British (8 ethnic minority) female victims. Content analysis demonstrated that barriers to disclosure were; emotional (e.g., fear, embarrassment/shame and self-blame), physical (e.g., partner’s physical presence, controlling behavior, and manipulation of professionals) and organizational (e.g., appropriateness of setting and time for disclosure). Additional problems for ethnic minority women were language difficulties and religious practices. Facilitators to disclosure were interpersonal relations, safety, and validation from health care professionals. Barriers and facilitators of disclosure in health care services are diverse and some are specific to minority ethnic groups. Health care professionals should receive awareness and skills training to establish a positive, validating, and safe environment for victim disclosure.

The Evaluation of a Domestic Abuse Response Team Program in an Emergency Department

“…Not only does this collaboration allow for the identification of domestic abuse among victims, it also provides in-person support within an hour (unless deemed implausible) with a certified professional from DART, reflecting rapid response times. This interdisciplinary and immediate strategy is more beneficial than booking follow-up appointments with recently identified victims of domestic abuse at a later date as it maximizes the opportunity for help to be accepted and provided while minimizing the time in which victims may regret disclosing their experiences of domestic abuse (Gurm & Marchbank, 2020 ; Heron et al, 2022 ). Women have also reported difficulty in finding services when victims of domestic abuse (Gurm & Marchbank, 2020 ), further epitomizing the importance of having domestic abuse programs (e.g., DART) linked to health care centers such as EDs, facilitating support and accessibility.…”

Sexual femicide, non-sexual femicide and rape: Where do the differences lie? A continuum in a pattern of violence against women

“…Clinical findings on women who survived IPV show that abused women are rarely keen to share sexually abusive incidents unless specifically asked about them ( Heron et al, 2022 ). According to Walker (1994 , 2009) , it seems that the sexual component of the abuse experienced by women is recounted as the worst in terms of both humiliation and physical pain.…”

Interviewee Transcript Review as a Tool to Improve Data Quality and Participant Confidence in Sensitive Research

“…Finally, and offering an example of ITR in domestic abuse research, Heron et al (2021) described providing copies of interview transcripts to participants so they could feedback on accuracy. Like the other examples given, the account offered by Heron et al is fleeting and they do not name this practice.…”

“…In contrast and building on the examples discussed above (Rager, 2005; Valentine, 2007; Heron et al, 2021; Pascoe Leahy, 2021), what has not been substantially explored is how RV/ITR can be of benefit to participants. One way that RV/ITR may be of benefit to participants is to afford greater control and assurance over the use of sensitive data.…”