Domestic violence, now generally referred to as intimate partner violence,
is primarily a crime against women. Consider the following statistics:
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According to the National Crime Victims Survey (NCVS), during 2001,
there were 691,710 non-fatal intimate partner victimizations (USDJ,
BJS, 2003).
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Approximately 588,490 or 85% of victimizations in 2001 were against
women by their intimate partners (USDJ, BJS, 2003).
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Intimate partners were responsible for 3% of the nonfatal violence
against men in 2001 (USDJ, BJS, 2003).
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1,247 women and 440 men were killed by intimate partners in 2001.
In recent years, an intimate partner killed about 33% of female murder
victims and 4% of male murder victims (USDJ, BJS, 2003).
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The number of violent crimes against women declined during the period
from 1993 to 2001; in 1993 there were 1.1 million non-fatal violent
crimes; in 2001 there were 588,490. This is a decline of almost 49%
(USDJ, BJS, 2003).
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The number of violent crimes against men also declined from 1993
to 2001. In 1993 there were 162,870 violent crimes by an intimate
partner; by 2001 there were 103,220. This is a decline of almost 42%
(USDJ, BJS, 2003).
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Between 1993 and 2000, the proportion of male murder victims killed
by an intimate partner was relatively stable, while the proportion
of female murder victims killed by an intimate partner rose slightly
(USDJ, BJS, 2003).
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The number of men murdered by an intimate partner dropped 68% from
1976 to 2000. In 1976, there were 1,357 murders; in 2000 there were
440 (USDJ, BJS, 2003).
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The number of women murdered by an intimate partner was stable for
almost 20 years, but declined after 1993. The number of women murdered
by an intimate partner in 1976 was 1,600; in 2000 there were 1,247
killed by intimate partners; this is a 22% decline (USDJ, BJS, 2003).
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Of women who reported being raped and/or physically assaulted since
the age of 18, three quarters (76 percent) were victimized by a current
or former husband, cohabitating partner, date or boyfriend (US Department
of Justice, 1998).
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According to the Family Violence Prevention Fund (http://endabuse.org),
the average charge for medical services provided to abused women,
children and older people was $1,633 per person per year. This would
amount to a national annual cost of $857.3 million for the medical
services; the additional cost of lost wages, lost productivity, etc.
were not included.
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From 1987 to 1990, crime costs Americans $450 billion a year. Adult
victims of intimate partner violence incurred 15% of the total cost
of crime on victims ($67 billion) (National Institute of Justice,
1996).
While this epidemic public health problem is of great concern, it is
frequently not recognized and therefore it is not treated in the healthcare
setting. This lack of recognition contributes to the ongoing abuse and
suffering of victims.
Nurses and other healthcare professionals are critical links in the treatment
and safety of persons involved in domestic violence. Victims of domestic/intimate
partner violence are often not forthcoming about the nature of their injuries;
they need healthcare providers to initiate the discussion about the violence.
Since nurses provide care to persons in every stage of life in a wide
range of settings, they are in a unique position to intervene. Improving
recognition of domestic/intimate partner violence and the utilization
of appropriate interventions can help to prevent the cycle of domestic/intimate
partner violence and the suffering it causes.
During the 1996 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly, House
Bill 309 was enacted. All nurses with active licensure status on July
15, 1996, have a mandatory requirement to earn 3 hours of Kentucky Board
of Nursing approved domestic violence continuing education before July
1, 1999. This is a one-time earning requirement. Any nurse licensed after
July 15, 1996 has 3 years from the date of initial licensure to earn the
one-time 3 hours of domestic violence continuing education.
This course will meet the requirement of this mandatory domestic violence
continuing education requirement. Compliance monitoring will include random
audits. Domestic violence CE certificates should be retained for as long
as a nurse holds a current/active license in Kentucky. Do NOT submit a
copy to the Board unless requested to do so.
In addition to meeting this mandatory Kentucky Board for Nursing requirement,
this course provides the startling facts about domestic violence/intimate
violence and information that can be used by nurses in all settings to
help them assess, recognize and intervene in cases of domestic violence
and abuse. Integrated into this course are the required content areas:
- Scope and nature of the problem
- Domestic Violence Defined
- Family violence Defined
- Incidence
- Types of abuse across the life span
- Cycle of Abuse
- Impact of Family Violence
- Assessment techniques
- Healthcare Protocols
- Recognizing signs and symptoms
- High risk indicators and lethality issues
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- Safety plan
- Initial assessment
- Examination
- Safety assessment
- Resources for victims of abuse
- Prevention strategies
- Domestic Violence and Abuse Act
- Statutory requirement for mandatory reporting by health professionals
- Related statutes
- Social mandates
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Note: The terms domestic violence and intimate partner violence
are used interchangeably throughout this course. Also, "She" and
"Her" are used when referring to victims and "He" and
"Him" refer to the abuser because of the significant prevalence
of gender related incidences. This does not imply that domestic violence
cannot be female against male, or female against female, or male against
male.
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