Pediatric residents' attitudes and practices regarding adolescent dating violence

To examine pediatric residents' knowledge, attitudes, self-reported screening, and care of adolescents involved in violent dating relationships.

Data were obtained by a cross-sectional survey of pediatrics and medicine-pediatrics residents at 4 pediatric and medicine-pediatric training programs in the United States during 1996-1997. We analyzed self-reported rates of screening for dating violence, resident responses to an adolescent report of dating violence, and barriers to caring for adolescent patients who report dating violence by descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses, chi(2) analysis, and prevalence ratios.

A survey was completed by 204 of 296 residents (69% response rate). Residents were knowledgeable about the prevalence of dating violence, but 91% did not routinely screen for dating violence in adolescent patients. Residents were more likely to ask about dating violence, be concerned, and refer for counseling when a teen was female or was involved in a physically versus emotionally violent relationship. Resident characteristics associated with responses were female sex, number of adolescent patients seen, and prior personal experience with intimate violence. Barriers to asking about dating violence mirror those for marital violence, with lack of time and insufficient training cited as major barriers.

Residents in pediatric training programs report that they would not routinely screen for or manage appropriately their adolescent patients in violent dating relationships. Residents believe that although it is a physician's role to discuss adolescent dating violence, they are not adequately trained to do so. Efforts are needed to properly prepare pediatricians to deal with this common adolescent health risk.