Supporting female survivors of intimate partner violence with disabilities: Recommendations for social workers in the emergency department

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive problem with grave consequences. Women with disabilities are among the most vulnerable groups disproportionately affected, with higher IPV rates than either women without disabilities or men with disabilities. The emergency department (ED) in particular affords a gateway into health services for female survivors of IPV, placing ED social workers in a prime position to observe potential signs of IPV and connect survivors to further assistance. This article explores the critical role ED social workers can fill in addressing the needs of female survivors of IPV with disabilities. We begin by providing background on the characteristics of IPV among women with disabilities, followed by a discussion of the opportunities and challenges inherent to assessing and intervening with survivors. We conclude by outlining recommendations for working with female survivors of IPV with disabilities in EDs, using our previous research on the topic as a guide.

Disability and Interpersonal Violence in the Perinatal Period

“…41 Further, violence-related information and services are frequently inaccessible. 42 Our findings underscore the importance of screening tools that address forms of violence often experienced by people with disabilities, 44,45 health care professional training and awareness, and resources that address physical and communication-related accessibility needs. 41,42 Finally, given that the strongest risk factor for interpersonal violence in the perinatal period, particularly in those with disabilities, was a prepregnancy history of interpersonal violence, our findings suggest that more could be done before pregnancy to offer screening and support at the index encounter, thereby reducing the risk of perinatal violence.…”

“…We were able to detect violence only in acute-care and death records 23,24 ; underestimation may have been greater in people with disabilities than in those without disabilities given that people with disabilities are less likely to disclose violence 42 and health care professionals are less likely to ask them about violence. 42 Because individuals experiencing sexual and psychological violence are less likely to seek care, these types of violence are especially likely to be underestimated in administrative data. 46 We also had no reliable information on perpetrators (eg, intimate partners), because such data are not mandatory in administrative data.…”

Reproductive Coercion Among Women With Disabilities

“…For women with physical or sensory disabilities, forensic nurses should ensure they understand and have access to resources and tools that ensure privacy and comfort, such as physical space that is accessible. In addition, this population may have a history of medical trauma to which nurses should be particularly sensitive to the examination (Ballan & Freyer, 2017). Women with cognitive or processing difficulties may require additional time for processing information about the examination, consent, and follow-up care (Tomsa et al, 2021).…”

“…Written materials that have been assessed for accessibility can be particularly helpful. Forensic teams should ensure that they make referrals to agencies and providers able to provide sensitive and appropriate care for a range of disabilities (Ballan & Freyer, 2017).…”

“…make referrals to agencies and providers able to provide sensitive and appropriate care for a range of disabilities (Ballan & Freyer, 2017).…”