What are the perspectives of emergency healthcare workers and first responders when working with victims of domestic violence?

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to look into the first-hand accounts of healthcare professionals, and first responders who work with domestic violence (DV) victims. There has been a lot of research on DV and its effects on victims, but less on the viewpoint of healthcare professionals and first responders. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was carried out. Six participants were interviewed about their experiences in working in this line of work. Following transcription of the interviews thematic analysis was used to pinpoint major themes that participants had mentioned. Four main themes emerged from the findings: the causes and consequences of abuse, early signs of abuse, patterns of service users, and healthcare workers and first responders. Participants mentioned that they are trained to deal with these kinds of situations, but expressed a desire for more training that is specific to DV rather than being more general, as well as for it to occur more frequently. Collaboration between police officers, medical professionals, and social workers was also explored. Having social workers take on the role of educators and provide healthcare workers, and first responders with information about psychosocial services available for victims might help professionals to be able to provide generic information even if the victim refuses to seek help. Finally, the study might have raised awareness of the necessity for medical professionals and first responders to know the early warning signs of DV and how to work effectively with law enforcement, medical professionals, and social workers.