Nurses Know! - Facts about Violence against Women

By: Gertrude Ajaere RN.

VIOLENCE AND ABUSE OF WOMEN.
Violence against women affects approximately 2 to 4 million women each year. Violence is the major cause of injuries to all women between the ages of 15 and 44 years. Violence has become a major health issue. The extent of abuse of women is not known. It is underreported in part because of threats, fear, and feelings of guilt. Mounting evidence is showing that abuse of women may be the most common form of family violence during the prenatal period. An estimated 10% to 50% of women in the world experiences assault by their male partner (Mary Jo Clark 2008).

Every woman is at risk, and most women experience more than one episode of violence. According to the American medical Association, some group of women are at higher risk for abuse, such as women who are single, separated, divorced, btween the ages of 17 and 28 years, those who abuse alcohol or drugs, pregnant women and women that has jealous partners. The most dangerous time for abused women is when they leave abusive relationships (Delorey & Wolf, 2002).

Different types of abuse exist including, slapping, shoving, kicking, assault with a weapon, restraining, and hitting. Some women suffer emotional abuse in the form of isolation, deprivation, intimidation, humiliation and critism. Of course sexual abuse is reported frequently in many clinics and hospitals, such as forced sexual act and sexual degradation.

Nurses working in the community can identify women who are experiencing any form of abuse using their skills in the area of assessment, therapeutic communication, and help in counseling, advocating for them, making referrals to promote the wellbeing and minimize the effects of violence and abuse (Mary Jo Clark 2008). The nurse needs to develop an awareness of how a woman’s cultural belief affects her response to abuse to avoid going against her wish and to advocate for her appropriately. Implementation of primary intervention will aid in decreasing the occurrence women abuse, by identifying abused women and increasing an awareness of the problem of violence and abuse at community level. Secondary intervention includes assessing the abused women and implementing an appropriate plan of care. The nurse also needs to implement tertiary care that includes referral and provision of continuous support to them. ReferencesMary Jo Clark (2008). Community health nursing, p 435-436.Delorey, C., & Wolf, K (2002). Sexual violence & Older Women, p 173-179.

Written by Gertrude Ajaere RN with minor editing by Shirley Comer RN.