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Making the link: Training veterinary professionals to recognise and respond to human and animal victims of domestic abuse
Introduction: One in four women in Scotland experience domestic abuse during their lifetime. Research shows that when victims present to health professionals with obvious injuries they want to be asked about them, yet few are. Harm or the threat of harm to the family pet may be used to exert control over victims. The veterinary team are well placed both to help the animal and to signpost human victims towards help.
Methods: A one-day training programme for veterinary professionals was developed by a collaboration of several charities and the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit in 2013. The training included information about the nature and signs of domestic abuse in humans and animals, direction on how to ask about abuse and advice on what to include in notes and on reporting mechanisms.
Results: Before and after online surveys of a sample of participants showed that after training veterinary professionals were more knowledgeable about how to recognise signs of abuse, how to ask about abuse, how to document abuse, how to access help for victims and about their professional responsibilities. Moreover they were more committed to helping victims of abuse and felt that they had an important role to play.
Discussion: As has been shown with other health professionals provision of training to veterinary professionals about domestic abuse increased their knowledge and commitment to helping both human and animal victims of abuse
Learning Areas:
Ethics, professional and legal requirementsImplementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related education
Learning Objectives:
Demonstrate the link between domestic abuse and animal abuse. Discuss the role veterinary surgeons and their teams have in recognising such abuse in their animal patients and their owners. Describe the training on domestic abuse that we offer to the veterinary team in Scotland . Dicsuss the outcomes of the training course. Discuss ways in which this allows the veterinary team to offer help to victims, both animal and human.
Keyword(s): Domestic Violence, Veterinary Public Health
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am one of the founders of Medics against Violence, a Scottish charity. As a senior clinician and researcher I have dealt with victims of DA (domestic abuse). Together with the co-authors I developed the training for veterinary professionals on DA. We use AVDR as one component-AVDR is evidence based, developed in the USA, we have permission to use it. My research interests are youth violence, DA and alcohol I have published on these areas.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.