{"id":1573,"date":"2021-11-24T08:51:35","date_gmt":"2021-11-24T08:51:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/website.prod.unilu.spikeseed.cloud\/fr\/news\/learning-to-identify-abuse-and-violence\/"},"modified":"2021-11-24T08:51:35","modified_gmt":"2021-11-24T08:51:35","slug":"learning-to-identify-abuse-and-violence","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.uni.lu\/fr\/news\/learning-to-identify-abuse-and-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning to identify abuse and violence"},"content":{"rendered":"

Domestic violence, also known as Intimate Partner Violence, is one of the leading forms of violence against women. It is a major public health problem with devastating short- and long-term consequences for the victims, their families, and the community. At the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and in accord with the University\u2019s commitment to the UN\u2019s Orange week campaign, we discussed this global issue with Raquel G\u00f3mez Bravo<\/strong><\/a>, Medical Doctor and PhD researcher at the University of Luxembourg. Ms G\u00f3mez Bravo developed a project on \u00ab\u00a0Effects of an e-learning platform to improve primary care physicians response to Intimate Partner violence\u00a0\u00bb, under the supervision of\u00a0Prof. Dr Claus V\u00f6gele<\/a>.<\/p>

\u201cIn 2020, the COVID-19 lockdown had led to an 11% increase in calls to the police relating to cases of domestic abuse. One death related to domestic abuse was also recorded.\u00a0The year prior\u00a0to that had already seen a 14% rise in domestic violence cases,\u201d states the National Council for Women in Luxembourg (CNFL) in an article published in Delano.1<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>

Before the pandemic started, data from the World Health Organisation showed that 1 in 3 women worldwide<\/strong>, which equates to around 736 million, are subject to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner in their lifetime.2<\/sup> It is estimated that in 2017 in Luxembourg 38% of women experienced domestic violence. However, these numbers are just the tip of the iceberg, as violence and abuse still remain largely unreported.<\/p>

The COVID-19 crisis has even worsened the problem; the UN WOMEN\u2019s Executive director, Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka described the situation as the \u201cshadow\u201d<\/strong> pandemic.<\/strong> In simple terms, there is a parallel pandemic to the COVID-19 pandemic that it is not addressed properly. Lockdowns, reduced mobility, increased isolation, stress and economic uncertainty have transformed many homes into traps triggering episodes of violence and abuse.<\/p>

Even though awareness of this global issue has increased over the last decade, approximately 80% of health professionals have never received any training on how to manage and address this problem3<\/sup>. \u201cThere is a significant gap between the magnitude of the problem, its serious consequences and an adequate training offer,\u201d<\/i> says Raquel G\u00f3mez Bravo, PhD researcher at the University of Luxembourg. As a result, the WHO and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence have recently published guidelines emphasising the urgent need to improve the education of frontline healthcare professionals.<\/p>

Ms G\u00f3mez Bravo and her colleagues have developed an e-learning programme to improve family doctors\u2019 responses to Intimate Private Violence (IPV)4<\/sup><\/i>. The platform helps to deliver a comprehensive and tailored training for general practitioners on how to deal with IPV. The effectiveness is currently being assessed using the Physician Readiness to Manage Intimate partner violence Survey (PREMIS) with pre\/post-test assessments and 6 months follow up. The PREMIS questionnaire assesses previous and current knowledge on intimate partner violence, attitudes and practice.<\/p>

Currently the programme is being implemented in Spain, the country of origin of Ms G\u00f3mez Bravo. She hopes to get the necessary funding in the framework of the IMOCAFV5 <\/sup>international study, to implement the training programme for all healthcare professionals in Luxembourg, a country she believes has the best potential to lead the fight against domestic violence.<\/p>

\u201cStatistics show that abused women use healthcare services more than non-abused women, and they also identify healthcare providers as the professionals that they would trust the most when disclosing the abuse,\u201d<\/i> says Ms G\u00f3mez Bravo. She adds that learning to identify abuse and violence is in her opinion an essential part of GPs\u2019 competences.<\/p>\n

\nHow can I help?<\/h3>\n

As cases of domestic violence increase worldwide, the general population also has a part to play in ending domestic abuse and violence. Through daily interaction with colleagues, family members and friends we can learn to recognise the warning signs and act accordingly.<\/p>

To those concerned about someone who may be experiencing domestic violence or abuse, Raquel G\u00f3mez Bravo suggests starting the conversation asking how things are going at home. <\/strong>G\u00f3mez Bravo explains:How are things going at home? <\/strong>\u00a0\u201c<\/i>is a question that is used as a door-opener by many professionals. The potential victim can identify this question as a safe space to speak.\u201d<\/i><\/p>

To continue the conversation, Ms G\u00f3mez Bravo suggests using\u00a0the LIVES approach<\/i> recommended by World Health Organisation:<\/p>