Improving Your Clinic’s Response to Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a critical issue that continues to impact the way we provide family planning services. IPV is defined as a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors that include:

• Psychological abuse
• Sexual assault
• Social isolation
• Stalking
• Emotional or physical neglect
• Intimidation and threats

IPV can contribute to a number of reproductive health concerns, such as unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and attempts by a partner to make birth control fail.

The Scope of the Problem

IPV is a significant problem, with 25% of women and 8% of men in the US reporting physical and/or sexual abuse by an intimate partner.¹

The problem affects adults as well as youth. Nationally, 21% of adolescent males and 22% of adolescent females have reported physical or psychological abuse by an intimate partner.² And here in California, 9% of students reported that they have been hit, slapped or physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend or girlfriend and 6% of students reported being forced to have sex when they did not want to, at least once in their life.³

How to Improve Your Response to IPV

Health care providers and other family planning clinic staff are in a unique position to help clients living with IPV. There are several key steps you can take to make your facility more successful and client-friendly when it comes to screening and intervention for IPV.

Support your clients dealing with potential Intimate Partner Violence.

• Start by asking the question, “Has your partner every hurt, hit or threatened you or made you afraid?” Asking this one question is the single-most effective element of the screening process for IPV and it can be done at any point during a patient’s visit.
• Display multi-cultural posters that that focus on getting help for clients who may be affected by IPV.
• Make brochures and other resources available in exam rooms and other confidential places like bathrooms.
• Maintain an environment that is peaceful and non-threatening.
• Offer supportive messages, such as,”No one deserves to be treated this way.” or “This is not your fault.”
• Offer clients strategies on how to keep safe.
• Refer them to community resources that may be helpful.

Establish protocols for screening and intervention.

• Make sure your agency has an IPV policy that includes a definition, guiding principles, and protocols for screening, assessment, intervention, documentation and reporting.
• Update the protocol regularly using new knowledge, laws, and policies.
• Orient all staff members to the protocol.
• Make sure that the protocol is accessible to all staff members.
• Make it clear what roles and responsibilities each staff member has.

Make sure staff members have the training they need.

• Use interactive learning methods in staff IPV training, such as role plays, modeling, observation and feedback.
• Focus on skill building. Teach staff skills they need to screen, intervene, document, and report.
• Make sure the training includes the perspectives of those who have been abused as well as different cultural perspectives.
• Consider making IPV training part of your new staff orientation.

For More Information

Health care providers and staff who want to learn more about IPV and enhance their skills should take advantage of California Family Health Council’s Screening and Intervention Training for Intimate Partner Violence. Contact Charles Marquardt at cmarquardt@cfhc.org to schedule a training.

More information about Intimate Partner Violence can also be found at www.endabuse.org.

References

1. Tjaden P, Thoenness N. 2006. Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Rape Victimization: Findings From the National Violence Against Women Survey (PDF) . U.S. Department of Justice.
2. Roberts TA, Klein J. 2003. Intimate Partner Abuse and high-Risk Behavior in Adolescents. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 157; 375-380.
3. Youth Risk Behavior Survey. 2005.