Health Staff Perceptions of Hate Violence in Spain

The aim of this study of Spanish health personnel is to determine their level of knowledge about hate violence and their relevance in detecting victims of hate violence and clarifying the magnitude of the phenomenon. An exploratory study with a descriptive, observational, and cross-sectional design was conducted, with incidental non-probabilistic sampling and an ad hoc questionnaire to health professionals in three Autonomous Communities of Spain. Our results indicate a general lack of knowledge about hate violence by health staff who acknowledged that they do not have specific training for hate violence victims' care, although most staff had attended to some cases of hate violence in the last year. No significant differences were found among healthcare services, professionals, training, or Autonomous Communities, which indicated a generalized lack of training and specific tools that was common in the different health services and in different Autonomous Communities in Spain. The health services that reported most cases of hate violence ex officio were those in which the professionals had more training and knowledge and in which there were specific protocols on hate violence. In conclusion, the health system constitutes "the gateway" to the care, promotion, and prevention of hate violence victims. However, political actions are necessary to avoid the lack of knowledge and lack of training and professional tools that are widespread among healthcare staff. Therefore, the training of professionals and the establishment of specific protocols for action against hate violence would improve the care and long-term monitoring of victims, and the implementation of an epidemiological registry and surveillance system of hate violence would improve the care and prevention of hate violence in Spain.