Page 1
Definition of
Partner Abuse
Page 2
Who Is At Risk?
Health Implications
Current Climate
Page 3
Screening
and A
Simple Tool
Page 4
Receptivity
to Screening
and
Nursing Inquiry
&
Professional
Responsibility
Main Page
Brought to
you by
Tina Johnston
November
2002
Partner Abuse Screening
"While many people believe that abuse is limited to physical assaults, women describe a range of forms of abuse, all having a significant effect on her freedom, health and safety.
Emotional abuse:
- name calling, jealousy, stalking
Verbal abuse:
- yelling or screaming, swearing, constant put downs or criticism
Cultural abuse:
- using culture to excuse abusive behaviour, threatening deportation, preventing cultural practices
Physical/Threat of Physical abuse:
- driving dangerously, restraining, throwing things, destroying valued possessions or pets
Mental/Intellectual abuse:
- silent treatment, threatening and claiming he is "just joking", comparing partner to other lovers
Sexual abuse:
- having an affair, forced sex, using pornography
Spiritual abuse:
- attacking her beliefs, preventing her from receiving support from her faith, forcing her into his faith practices
Social abuse:
- forced isolation, partner's behaviours force women to withdraw from friends and family, not wanting visible injuries to be seen by friends/family, monitoring all her actions/phone calls/etc..
Financial abuse:
- forcing partner to account for all expenditures, gas, mileage etc.., and spending money on self rather that household - depriving woman and children of necessities
Using Children:
- putting woman down in front of children, harming woman in front of children, threatening to take the children away, threatening to report woman to child protective services.
These types of abuse often go unrecognized or substantiated due to the ingrained belief by both health care professionals and the public at large that domestic abuse must be in the form of unwanted physical contact.
