Domestic abuse – do you know the signs?

On average, two women are killed every week in England and Wales by their current or former partner. Domestic abuse is known as a gendered issue for its statistically higher number of female victims.

However, this is not to say that men cannot also be affected by domestic abuse. Abuse can happen to any individual at any age, time, or place.

More than 80% of women in violent or abusive relationships will seek help from healthcare professionals, so you could well be the first – and, potentially, only – point of contact for an individual in need.

For this reason, it is incredibly important to know the correct way to react if a disclosure is made or if you suspect a patient might be at risk of experiencing abuse – or, indeed, if you suspect they might already be affected by abuse.