Table 2.
Clinicians’ actual knowledge
| % answering correctly | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | GPs (n = 183) | Nurses (n = 89) | All (n = 272) |
| The strongest single risk factor for domestic violence is female sex | 37.2 | 17.7 | 30.9 |
| It is generally true that perpetrators use violence as a means of controlling their partners | 83.1 | 69.9 | 78.9 |
| Warning signs that a woman may have been abused by her partner are: | |||
| Chronic unexplained pain | 83.1 | 52.8 | 73.2 |
| Anxiety | 85.3 | 79.8 | 83.5 |
| Substance abuse | 70.0 | 37.1 | 59.2 |
| Frequent injuries | 94.0 | 86.5 | 91.5 |
| Depression | 89.1 | 79.8 | 86.0 |
| A woman may not be able to leave a violent relationship because of: | |||
| Fear of retribution | 95.1 | 79.8 | 90.1 |
| Financial dependence on the perpetrator | 93.4 | 84.3 | 90.4 |
| Religious beliefs | 86.9 | 73.0 | 82.4 |
| Children’s needs | 91.8 | 86.5 | 90.1 |
| Love for one’s partner | 83.6 | 73.0 | 80.2 |
| Isolation | 86.9 | 74.2 | 82.7 |
| Appropriate/not appropriate ways to ask about domestic violence: | |||
| ‘Are you a victim of domestic violence?’ (is not appropriate) | 94.5 | 91.0 | 93.4 |
| ‘Has your partner ever hurt or threatened you?’ (is appropriate) | 71.6 | 70.8 | 71.3 |
| ‘Have you ever been afraid of your partner?’ (is appropriate) | 93.4 | 86.5 | 91.2 |
| ‘Has your partner ever hit or hurt you?’ (is appropriate) | 50.8 | 36.0 | 46.0 |
| The following are generally true: | |||
| There are common non-injury presentations of abused female patients | 82.0 | 67.4 | 77.2 |
| There are behavioural patterns in couples that may indicate domestic violence | 76.0 | 64.0 | 72.0 |
| Specific areas of the body are most often targeted in domestic violence cases | 57.9 | 65.2 | 60.3 |
| There are common injury patterns associated with domestic violence | 60.7 | 56.2 | 59.2 |
| Injuries in different stages of recovery may indicate abuse | 85.3 | 62.9 | 77.9 |
| Stages of change: | |||
| Begins making plans to leave the abusive partner is ‘preparation’ | 82.4 | 70.0 | 78.5 |
| Denies there’s a problem is ‘precontemplation’ | 93.6 | 77.9 | 88.8 |
| Begins thinking the abuse is not their fault is ‘contemplation’ | 91.4 | 72.2 | 85.4 |
| Continues changing behaviours is ‘maintenance’ | 62.4 | 50.0 | 58.4 |
| Obtains injunction(s) for protection is ‘action’ | 51.7 | 40.5 | 48.2 |
| The following statements are false: | |||
| Alcohol consumption is the greatest single predictor of the likelihood of domestic violence | 25.6 | 30.6 | 27.2 |
| Reasons for concern about domestic violence should not be included in a woman’s medical record if she does not disclose the violence | 87.2 | 61.2 | 78.8 |
| Being supportive of a woman’s choice to remain in a violent relationship would condone the abuse | 80.3 | 69.4 | 76.8 |
| Strangulation injuries are rare in cases of domestic violence | 53.1 | 28.2 | 45.1 |
| Allowing partners or friends to be present during the consultation of a woman who had experienced domestic violence ensures her safety | 82.7 | 60.7 | 75.7 |
| The following statements are true: | |||
| There are good reasons for not leaving an abusive relationship | 56.7 | 21.2 | 45.3 |
| Women who have experienced domestic violence are able to make appropriate choices about how to handle their situation | 39.9 | 36.1 | 38.6 |
| Clinicians should not pressure female patients to acknowledge that they are living in an abusive relationship | 57.5 | 57.7 | 57.6 |
| Women who have experienced domestic violence are at greater risk of injury when they leave the relationship | 40.8 | 27.1 | 36.4 |
| Even if the child is not in immediate danger, clinicians have a duty of care to consider an instance of a child witnessing domestic violence in terms of child protection | 96.1 | 91.6 | 94.6 |