History of Domestic Violence among Male Patients Presenting to an Urban Emergency Department

Abstract

Abstract. Objective: To establish the prevalence of domestic violence committed by women against male patients presenting to an urban ED for any reason. Methods: This was a prospective survey in which male patients of legal age presenting to the ED over a 13-week period were interviewed. Patients answered a series of six questions adapted from the George Washington University Universal Violence Prevention Screening Protocol. Patients who could not speak English, those refusing to participate, those unable to give informed consent, and those meeting regional criteria for major trauma were excluded. Results: Of 866 male patients interviewed, 109 (12.6%) had been the victims of domestic violence committed by a female intimate partner within the preceding year. Victims were more likely to be younger, single, African American, and uninsured. The most common forms of assault were slapping, grabbing, and shoving (60.6% of victims). These were followed by choking, kicking, biting, and punching (48.6%), or throwing an object at the victim (46.8%). Thirty-seven percent of cases involved a weapon. Seven percent of victims described being forced to have sex. Nineteen percent of victims contacted the police; 14% required medical attention; 11% pressed charges or sought a restraining order; and 6% pursued follow-up counseling. Conclusions: Almost 13% of men in this sample population had been victims of domestic violence committed by a female intimate partner within the previous year. Further attention to the recognition and management of domestic violence committed by women against men may be warranted. 8 These data did not distinguish between same-sex and heterosexual partners. In 1981, Goldberg and Tomlanovich surveyed 492 ED patients regarding domestic violence victimization. Twenty-two percent of the patients described previous victimization, with 38% of victims being male.9 Once again, these data did not distinguish between same-sex and heterosexual partners. Finally, a 1995 survey of 516 men and women pre-ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE • August 1999, Volume 6, Number 8 787 senting to an urban ED revealed that 28% of men and 33% of women had been victims of physical violence in previous relationships.10 Therefore, domestic violence committed by women against men may not be as rare as is commonly believed.The objectives of this study were 1) to determine the prevalence of domestic violence committed by women against men presenting to an urban ED, 2) to identify demographic differences between male victims of domestic violence and nonvictims, and 3) to establish how often male victims pursue legal action or counseling. METHODSStudy Design. This was a prospective survey of male patients presenting to an urban ED. Patients were verbally administered a brief questionnaire addressing issues of violence victimization within the preceding year. Emphasis was placed on violence committed by female intimate partners. The study was approved by the institutional review board of the University of Pennsylvania.Study Population and Setting...

“Between me and the computer”: Increased detection of intimate partner violence using a computer questionnaire

“…41,42 Several studies have reported that men screened in the ED for IPV had similar rates of victimization by an intimate partner as women. 43,44 These studies and our own screening results might be documenting a high rate of low-level, bidirectional emotional or physical violence 45 and do not make a clear distinction between a victim or a perpetrator. One trauma unit study linked the names of men presenting to an ED with injuries inflicted by their female partner to police department records and found that half of these men had prior arrests for domestic violence perpetration.…”

Prevalência de violência física por parceiro íntimo em homens e mulheres de Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brasil: estudo de base populacional

“…Apesar das severas consequências decorrentes da violência praticada por parceiro íntimo em ambos os sexos, a maioria das pesquisas que investigam a violência por parceiro íntimo é voltada às mulheres como vítimas e aos homens como agressores 11,12 , e é majoritariamente realizada em países desenvolvidos 7,13,14,15,16,17 . Portanto, há escassez de estudos que contemplem a violência por parceiro íntimo em homens 11 .…”

Addressing Intimate Partner Violence with Male Patients: A Review and Introduction of Pilot Guidelines

“…[20][21][22][23][24][25] Health-care research on IPV and men, though, is quite limited. There are few studies that explore its prevalence in the health-care setting, [26][27][28][29][30] the accuracy and efficacy of medical screening, 29,31,32 the ability of interview procedures to distinguish victimization from perpetration, 32,33 and the efficacy of a health-care responses to men, including of batterer's treatment programs. 34,35 Although published expert experience exists, 33,[36][37][38][39][40][41][42] there are no comprehensive healthcare guidelines on addressing IPV specifically with men.…”