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The Epidemiology of Domestic Violence

The Epidemiology of Domestic Violence. Thomas Songer, PhD Cristie Glasheen, MPH University of Pittsburgh. Key Points. What is being measured? What is NOT being measured? How does this affect the results?. Definition of Violence. …...To understand violence, you need to define violence.

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The Epidemiology of Domestic Violence

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  1. The Epidemiology of Domestic Violence Thomas Songer, PhD Cristie Glasheen, MPH University of Pittsburgh

  2. Key Points What is being measured? What is NOT being measured? How does this affect the results?

  3. Definition of Violence …...To understand violence, you need to define violence How would you define domestic violence?

  4. Defining Domestic Violence domestic violencenoun: violence committed by one member of a family or household against another The National Research Council defines violence as: - behaviour by individuals that intentionally threaten, attempt, or inflict physical harm on others

  5. Who is Affected by Domestic Violence? Children Intimate Partners (IP) Elders

  6. Data Sources You are planning to do a study of domestic violence using pre-existing data. Where would you look? Medical sources State sources Government surveys

  7. Which surveillance system is likely to provide the best estimates for domestic violence?

  8. Surveillance in Domestic Violence • Hospital Admissions • Trauma Center Admissions • Emergency Department Admissions • State-based Reporting Systems • Government Surveys • National Criminal Victimization Survey • National Incidence Survey • Behavioral Risk Factor Survey • National Violence Against Women Survey

  9. Medical Sources Hospital Records Trauma Center Records Emergency Department Recommended: Rudman WJ. Coding and Documentation of Domestic Violence. December, 2000. Available at: http://endabuse.org/programs/healthcare/files/codingpaper.pdf

  10. Definition of Health Care Events Related to Domestic Violence • Based on N-codes and E-codes • 995.80 to 995.85 adult physical abuse • 995.50 child abuse • E coding to distinguish domestic violence is relatively poor • E967.x

  11. State Based Reporting • State-based Reporting • Child Protective Services • Uniform Crime Reports • National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) • Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR)

  12. State-based Programs Related to Domestic Violence • Based on reporting to state agencies • most frequently for child maltreatment • definition of violence is not standard across the states • reporting is subject to knowledge of the issues to medical, educational, and legal personnel

  13. Government Surveys • Government Surveys • National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) • National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAW)

  14. Surveys Related to Domestic Violence • Self-report of violence based upon interviews • Aside from the NCVS, these surveys are not regularly collected • Definition of violence in surveys is not standard • There may be extensive under-reporting of violence

  15. What do we know aboutChild Maltreatment?

  16. Epidemiology of Child Abuse • Maltreatment • “behavior towards another person, which a) is outside the norms of conduct, and b) entails a substantial risk of causing physical or emotional harm” • Physical Abuse • Sexual Abuse • Emotional & Psychological Abuse • Neglect

  17. Types of Maltreatment • Physical abuse: physical acts by a parent, guardian or caretaker that caused physical injury to the child. • Neglect (including medical neglect): the failure by the caretaker to provide needed, age-appropriate care (or provide for the health care) of the child. • Sexual abuse: the involvement of a child in incest, or sexual assault by a relative or caretaker, includes fondling and exposure to indecent acts.

  18. Substantiated Cases of Child Maltreatment, Pennsylvania, 1976-1994

  19. The Pyramid of Child Maltreatment in Pennsylvania, 1994 53 deaths 33 head injuries 56 trauma center admissions 177 hospital admissions 2115 ED visits 7,038 substantiated cases 64,560 maltreatment events

  20. What do we know about Violence Against Women?

  21. Terminology of IPV Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) – relatively new term Also called: domestic violence, domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battery, violence against women

  22. Who is an intimate?

  23. Estimates of the Frequency of Domestic Violence Against Women seen in Medical Settings Sample Trauma One year Lifetime Study Definition and Method Size from Abuse Prevalence Prevalence Physical and sexual abuse reported McCauley 1952 5.5% 33% in physician practices Physical and sexual abuse and Gin 453 threats by current partner reported 14% 28% in internal medicine clinics Physical abuse reported in an urban Goldberg 492 22% emergency department Physical or sexual abuse reported in Dearwater 3455 2.2% 14.4% 36.9% community hospital emergency departments Physical abuse identified in trauma McLeer 412 patients in urban emergency 30% department Physical abuse or threats reported in Abbott 648 2.7% 15.3% 54.2% urban, acute care emergency departments and clinics Physical trauma identified in ten Muelleman 9057 3.1% emergency departments

  24. IPV Source: American Journal of Preventive MedicineVolume 34, Issue 2, February 2008, Pages 112-118

  25. WHO Multi-country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence against Women

  26. The Pyramid of Violence Against Women, U. S. 1418 murders 7% treated in emergency department 10% sought medical care 32% not treated for injury 51% had physical injuries 50% reported to police 1992-96 NCVS 960,000 women victimized

  27. Trends in the rates of violent victimizations by intimates*, United States, 1992 - 1996

  28. Possible Risk Factors Intimate Partner Violence • Gender • Ethnicity • Socio-Economic Status • Age ? • Alcohol ? • Pregnancy ? • Psychiatric problems ?

  29. What do we know about Elder Abuse?

  30. Research Methods You have decided that existing data sources are not adequate to answer your research question. You want to design a new study. What do you need to consider?

  31. Who Who are you going to measure? Victims? Perpetrators?

  32. What is Your Outcome? Physical Injury? Psychological Injury?

  33. Physical Injury Easiest to identify Severity of injury What are you missing? Exposed with no injury

  34. Psychological Injury What is the threshold? When is it a psychological “bruise” and when is it a “trauma”? What does this mean for prevention Primary Secondary Tertiary

  35. What is your exposure? Experienced or potential for abuse? Officially reported, unreported, or both Suspected or confirmed Attempts or completions Type of exposure Physical and/or Neglect Sexual Emotional

  36. How are You Going to Measure It? Domestic Violence is wrought with ethical considerations unique to this field of research

  37. Key Lecture Points • Surveillance for the frequency of domestic violence is not at the same level of development as for other unintentional injuries and for criminal violence • Several limitations, including differing definitions, poor coding, and under-reporting influence our knowledge of the frequency of domestic violence • Risk factor analysis in this area is just starting

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