Family Violence Prevention Fund
October commemorates the loss due to domestic violence and to educate the public about the issues and resources available. Greg Jensen, director of the Department of Social Service at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, says domestic violence is more than hitting or bruising.
"Domestic violence is a pattern of violent and/or abusive behaviors by a present or former intimate partner. This behavior is often intended to coerce or intimidate their partner. Since 1995, 124 Iowans have been killed in domestic violence murders. Thousands more have sustained other injuries.
"Iowa law defines domestic violence as an assault between family or household members, between separated spouses or divorced persons, between parents of the same child or between persons who have lived together within the past year.
"Reporting domestic violence is different than reporting child abuse because the victim is usually an adult. As a result, Iowa law, for the most part, allows the victim to decide whether the abuse will be reported to law enforcement.
"There are two exceptions.
- First, if the law enforcement officer at the scene has reason to believe that domestic violence has occurred and reasonable cause to know who perpetrated the violence, the law enforcement officer must arrest the alleged perpetrator.
- Secondly, if a person is being treated in an emergency room and has sustained a "wound of violence", the physician must report this to law enforcement.
Generally speaking however, most victims should remain "in charge" of whether an incident is reported and to whom. Studies continue to show that one of the most dangerous time for victims of domestic violence occurs when they decide to leave the relationship. The timing of this should be left in the hands of the victim.
At University Hospitals and Clinics, we, first and foremost, provide care and treatment to their physical and emotional injuries. We believe very strongly that the victim, our patient, should remain in control of whether they want to disclose that they are a victim of abuse and whether they want our assistance at this point in their lives.
"Often, a dangerous time for victims is when they disclose that abuse has occurred and they take some action such as moving to a shelter, seeking a restraining order, filing for divorce, etc.
"That said, we would reinforce that under no circumstances, does anyone deserve to be physically or sexually assaulted. We provide the patient with resource information such as the location of shelters, available advocacy services or information pertaining to the Iowa's Crimes Victims Compensation Fund. We also assist in developing a safety plan with the patient," says Jensen.
UI Hospitals and Clinics, in partnership with the Iowa City Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP), trains UI Hospitals and Clinics providers in the recognition and treatment of domestic violence victims. Some of the signs might include: patients with unexplained injuries in multiple stages of healing; substantial delays between thetime of the injury and seeking treatment; patients who are hesitant, embarrassed or evasive when telling how the injury occurred or the person accompanying the patient doesn't allow for privacy during the exam.
The patient may also complain of chronic pain or may appear depressed and even suicidal. "There are, of course, other reasons these symptoms might be present. In order to screen for violence as a possible cause of injuries, UI Hospital and Clinics screens all adult inpatients, all adult patients seen in our emergency treatment center and all parents of children admitted to our pediatric unit with a history of abuse or neglect.
"In addition, UI Hospital and Clinics has a hospital-wide committee with physicians, nurses, social workers, safety and security and local DVIP representatives to develop training programs, develop hospital-wide policies and look for other ways to communicate to our patients, visitors and staff our concern for victims of violence and our message that violence is not an acceptable way to resolve conflict.
"For example, we've placed resource cards in English and Spanish in all of our public restrooms with this message.
"Lastly, we recognize that staff members are not immune to being victims of violence. When this occurs, we work closely with Safety and Security and our Hospital Human Resources Department to assist the staff member with resources and remaining safe at work. This can also extend to other staff in the person's immediate work area."
To speak to someone or learn more about domestic violence, contact Jensen at 319-356-7122 or DVIP 351-1043. DVIP can provide services directly to survivors of domestic violence or they can provide educational services to community organizations. |
