Philippa Olive

Estimating the costs of gender-based violence in the European Union

The purpose of the study is to identify and recommend appropriate methodologies to measure the cost of gender-based and intimate partner violence in EU-28 Member States. To define gender-based and intimate partner violence for this study we draw on the definitions advanced by the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (UN 1993) and Council of Europe (2011) respectively. These authorities focus on the forms of violence, violence perpetrated by intimate partners and other family members (domestic violence) and sexual violence that are disproportionality perpetrated against and disproportionality impact women.

First contact: acute stress reactions and experiences of emergency department consultations following an incident of intimate partner violence

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The aim of this research was to explore womens emotional and affective responses following an incident of intimate partner violence experienced during emergency department attendances. BACKGROUND A growing body of research has explored womens experiences of emergency departments following intimate partner violence still little remains known about the experience and impact of emotional and affective responses during these attendances. DESIGN A descriptive qualitative design was used, underpinned theoretically by critical realism and postmodern complexity theory to attend to multiple, intersecting mechanisms that lie behind events and experiences. METHODS Semistructured interviews with six women who had attended an emergency department directly following an incident of intimate partner violence. Interview data were transcribed and thematically analysed in nvivo9 using a coding framework. RESULTS There were three interconnected key findings. First, was the commonality of acute stress experiences among women attending an emergency department following partner violence, second was that these acute stress reactions negatively impacted womens consultations, and third was the need for specialist domestic violence services at the point of first contact to assist service users navigate an effective consultation. CONCLUSIONS Acute stress reactions were an important feature of womens experiences of emergency department consultations following intimate partner violence. Attending to psychological first aid; providing a safe and quiet space; and affording access to specialist violence advocacy services at the point of first contact will limit harm and improve health consultation outcomes for this population. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE This research provides an account of emotional and affective responses experienced by women attending emergency departments following intimate partner violence and explicates how these acute stress reactions impacted their consultation. This research has relevance for practitioners in many first contact health services, such as urgent and emergency care, general practice, community public health and mental health.

Overview of the worldwide best practices for rape prevention and for assisting women victims of rape

The study provides an overview of the worldwide best practices for rape prevention and for assisting women victims of rape. It reviews the international literature and offers selected examples of promising practices. It addresses the comprehensive range of policies in the fields of gender equality; law and justice; economy, development and social inclusion; culture, education and media; and health. It presents a wide-ranging set of examples of best practice. It concludes with a series of recommendations, based on the social scientific evidence presented in the study.

Intimate Partner Violence and clinical coding: issues with the use of the International Classification of Disease (ICD-10) in England

Objectives To investigate the availability of intimate partner violence-related population health information in England and the possibility of identifying intimate partner violence-exposed population sample frames from administrative health data systems in England employing the International Classification of Disease. Methods Research design was an exploratory mixed method approach that involved trend analysis of numbers of applications of International Classification of Disease intimate partner violence classifications for admissions to NHS hospitals in England over a five-year period and semi-structured focus group interviews with clinical coders at an NHS Hospital. Results Use of International Classification of Disease intimate partner violence classifications was generally low across NHS Trusts in England. There was notable variation in the numbers of applications across NHS providers which demographic differences or rates of violence perpetration would not account for. The interview findings revealed conceptual ambiguity regarding intimate partner violence classifications which presented challenges for clinical coding and raised questions about the reliability and validity of International Classification of Disease’s intimate partner violence classifications. Conclusion It would not be possible to extract robust data about populations exposed to intimate partner violence for the purposes of audit, governance or research from health information systems using current International Classification of Disease-10 classifications. Development of these International Classification of Disease codes is essential for violence and abuse to be captured more accurately in health information systems and afforded greater prioritization and funding proportionate to the health burden and service demands that intimate partner violence is responsible for.