From public to private: the history of domestic abuse in Britain

Tania McIntosh1, Cathy Ashwin

  • 1University of Nottingham.

Today all midwives are expected to be able to ask women about domestic abuse, and to respond appropriately to any disclosure. However, it is only in the last twenty years that health professionals, including midwives, have begun to appreciate both the scale and effect of domestic abuse. This article delves into the hidden history of this most secret aspect of family relationships and explores why midwives finally began to 'ask the question'.

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