Barriers and Opportunities to Effective Identification and Management of Domestic Violence and Abuse

The aim of this chapter is to explore the debates and evidence surrounding domestic violence and abuse (DVA), routine enquiry and the support mechanisms that are in place to support those working in clinical practice. As a healthcare professional across any spectrum of clinical settings you are required to provide the best possible care for your patients. Your healthcare facility is often uniquely placed and can play an essential role in responding, supporting and referring patients to appropriate services who have experienced DVA. In the UK, for example, there are clear signposting and specialist services available to support survivors and also for perpetrator programmes. This is often in addition to the support that can be provided at the time of first contact with healthcare services. This chapter will explore the literature on DVA within a number of clinical settings and enable you to understand the complexity of decision-making with regard to screening and clinical/routine enquiry.