[Prevalence of partner violence. Why the detection by the general practitioner?]

The problem of partner violence is often rarely detected at its very beginning by the generalist practitioner (GP). It is only after the patient's disclosure or clear physical symptoms that the GP is able to detect the situation. At this point the problem is generally already quite serious. It is thus necessary to bring forth elements to understand this phenomenon in terms of definition and chronicity. To know the prevalence, the escalation processes and the consequences on health of the victims as well as their children's are prerequisites for detecting these situations at an early stage. Moreover, deconstructing generally accepted ideas in this field will help the general practitioner consider the possibility of violence when he makes a diagnostic. This is what this article will propose, basing on the recent clinical practice guideline and on results of the new Belgian national survey.