Domestic violence and children: the case for joined-up working

Domestic violence causes injury and death throughout the world. Women are most likely to be the victims. In the United Kingdom (UK) two women die each week and 30 men each year as a result of this multifaceted and common source of violent crime. It is a sign that children are at risk of abuse too, as they can be directly or indirectly caught up in the violence. A central tenet of domestic violence is power dynamics: the need for the abuser to control their partner and at times the children. Domestic violence is a health care as well as a social, ethical and legal issue. This paper emphasises the importance of professional practitioners being aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse, its frequency, the risk factors for homicide from domestic violence, and the risks to children and the impact on them. It is likely that the violence is known about in the community and by professional practitioners. The paper explores the role of practitioners and how important it is for them to examine their own values and beliefs about domestic violence. It is imperative for responses to be interprofessional and interagency if practitioners are to meet the needs of survivors and their families and work in partnership with them. Fundamental to this approach is effective information sharing and the sensitive co-ordination of services for survivors. It is no longer acceptable to regard domestic violence, a cause of misery and loss of life, as a private matter and not to consider it as a health care or human rights issue. Clients and their families have a right to sensitive inquiry about their situations and the offer of services to themselves and their children.