Domestic Violence
Should our democracy require health care providers to report evidence of domestic abuse to the police?
Imagine you are in a relationship with an abusive individual. In a fit of rage, your partner hits you. These blows injure your face. You want to go to the hospital for treatment but know that doctors are required by law to report this violent incident to the police. You wonder: Will this report prevent more abuse by holding your partner accountable for the violence? Or will a police report lead to more violence because your partner will retaliate against you? In order to protect the personal safety of their citizens, democracies must address such dilemmas when trying to stop domestic violence.
Lessons
- English
- Español (Spanish)
- Македонски (Macedonian)
- Na Russkom Yizake (Russian)
- Romana (Romanian)
- Shqip (Albanian)
- Srpski (Serbian)
Resources
Articles and Papers
- Baban, Adriana, Domestic Violence against Women in Albania (New York: UNICEF, 2003)
- Bunch, Charlotte, “The Intolerable Status Quo: Violence against Women and Girls,” in The Progress of Nations 45 (New York: UNICEF, 1997) Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Mandatory Reporting by Health Care Professionals (Denver, CO: CCADV, 2006)
- Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, A Framework for Understanding the Dynamics of Domestic Violence (Jefferson City, MO: MCADSV)
- Tjaden, Patricia, and Nancy Thoennes, Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence: Findings from the National Violence against Women Survey (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, 2000)
