Survey: Physicians miss opportunities to discuss partner violence with men
Almost 20% of young men in the United States are perpetrators of intimate partner violence, or IPV, and more than a quarter are victims of it, survey results showed.
In addition, only 13% of the survey’s respondents said a physician had asked them if they had ever been a victim of IPV.
“IPV is a significant public health problem in the United States and around the world,” Tova Walsh, PhD, MSW, assistant professor at the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told Healio Primary Care. “Identifying victims and instigators of IPV will allow PCPs to offer a range of tailored responses, including counseling, brief interventions, and referrals, such as specialized services for victims or batterers.”
Researchers reviewed responses from a cross-sectional, nationally representative online survey of 916 men aged 18 to 35 years. Results, published in Annals of Family Medicine, show that:
- 19% were perpetrators of IPV;
- 27% said they were victimized by a current or previous spouse or partner;
- 90% believed health care providers should ask men if they have committed IPV (only 11% said a physician had asked); and
- 92% said health care providers should ask men if they have ever been a victim of IPV (just 13% said a physician had asked).
Walsh said identifying men who are perpetrators or victims of IPV can be accomplished by using the RADAR screening tool:
- R = routinely ask all male patients aged 14 years and older if they have ever been in a relationship;
- A = always ask a patient who answers affirmatively if he has been the perpetrator or a victim of IPV;
- D = document the findings;
- A = assess the patient’s safety if he was to return to the perpetrator; and
- R = respond by providing resources (eg, a safe place for the patient to stay).
She also recommended using the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale. This tool has both participants in an abusive relationship answer 39 questions each regarding psychological aggression, physical assault, sexual coercion and injury.
“It’s important for PCPs to explain why they are asking about IPV, to communicate compassion and avoid implying judgement,” Walsh said.
She added that PCPs play a critical role in correcting the misconception that only women are victims of IPV.
“Prior research has found that nearly 1 in 3 men report that an intimate partner has used physical force toward them,” Walsh said. “PCPs can share these statistics with their male patients to explain why they screen all patients for IPV, regardless of gender.”
Reference:
- University of Miami. Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2). https://elcentro.sonhs.miami.edu/research/measures-library/cts2/index.html. Accessed Aug. 18, 2020.