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Domestic Violence—and Hidden Child Abuse?

By Gregory Wallace, DO | July 14, 2011

Dr Wallace is a hospitalist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati and a staff physician at the Northern Kentucky Children's Advocacy Center in Bellevue, Ky.

A 23-year-old undocumented citizen came to a community clinic with her children. She asked to see the social worker. She stated that she was the victim of domestic abuse in her home the night before her visit. She was well known in the clinic and this was not her first experience with domestic violence.

The woman stated that she had always been afraid to leave her husband but now she felt she “had to leave.” She reported that in the past week, her best friend had been murdered by her domestic partner after many years of abuse. All of this had brought her to ask for shelter for herself and her 2 children.

Would you suspect hidden child abuse in this account of domestic violence?

Click here for the discussion . . . .

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by susan kweskin | July 27, 2011 11:51 AM EDT

Dr Wallace responds to Dr. Bailey:

I have handled this issues in two different venues. First when I was in private practice and had no social worker, business cards for the local women's shelter were made available in the ladies' room and my nurses would always have a ready supply of cards. Second, in my academic practice, I did have access to a social worker but we still used much the same model as in private practice. I felt that calling a social worker to the clinic made the victim more nervous and conspicuous. With the contact information, she could call and talk when she felt most secure.

by Maureen Bailey | July 21, 2011 1:54 PM EDT

Thanks for the article--what have you found to be the best way to handle reporting spousal abuse of a patient of yours (and getting them the care they need/safe place) when you do not have a social worker readily available in your office?

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Domestic Violence—and Hidden Child Abuse?

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