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Disclosure and police reporting of intimate partner violence postpartum : a pilot study

Rubertsson, Christine LU ; Hildingsson, Ingegerd and Rådestad, Ingela (2010) In Midwifery 26(1). p.1-5
Abstract

Objective: intimate partner violence is a significant health problem. Fear of retaliation and shame may prevent women from telling anyone about the violence. This study investigated the prevalence of disclosure and police reporting of intimate partner violence during the first year postpartum. Design: a prospective longitudinal Swedish cohort study based on information from 2563 women who answered a postal questionnaire in early pregnancy and 12 months postpartum. Findings: of 52 women who had been exposed to violence by their partner during the first year postpartum, four (8%) had filed a police report while 19 (37%) had not told anyone about the violence. All single women in the study had disclosed the violence to a friend, a relative... (More)

Objective: intimate partner violence is a significant health problem. Fear of retaliation and shame may prevent women from telling anyone about the violence. This study investigated the prevalence of disclosure and police reporting of intimate partner violence during the first year postpartum. Design: a prospective longitudinal Swedish cohort study based on information from 2563 women who answered a postal questionnaire in early pregnancy and 12 months postpartum. Findings: of 52 women who had been exposed to violence by their partner during the first year postpartum, four (8%) had filed a police report while 19 (37%) had not told anyone about the violence. All single women in the study had disclosed the violence to a friend, a relative or filed a police report. Key conclusions: few women file a police report when they are being hit by their partner during the year after childbirth. Many women do not tell anyone that they have been hit. Implications for practice: these data may encourage health professionals to undertake sensitive questioning about violence, giving an opening for support.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
Disclosure, Intimate partner violence, Postpartum, Pregnancy
in
Midwifery
volume
26
issue
1
pages
1 - 5
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:18378050
  • scopus:73549112010
ISSN
0266-6138
DOI
10.1016/j.midw.2008.01.003
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
69aba511-17d6-4b55-8de3-751f1c8727cb
date added to LUP
2017-10-27 14:09:21
date last changed
2024-03-31 17:51:47
@article{69aba511-17d6-4b55-8de3-751f1c8727cb,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objective: intimate partner violence is a significant health problem. Fear of retaliation and shame may prevent women from telling anyone about the violence. This study investigated the prevalence of disclosure and police reporting of intimate partner violence during the first year postpartum. Design: a prospective longitudinal Swedish cohort study based on information from 2563 women who answered a postal questionnaire in early pregnancy and 12 months postpartum. Findings: of 52 women who had been exposed to violence by their partner during the first year postpartum, four (8%) had filed a police report while 19 (37%) had not told anyone about the violence. All single women in the study had disclosed the violence to a friend, a relative or filed a police report. Key conclusions: few women file a police report when they are being hit by their partner during the year after childbirth. Many women do not tell anyone that they have been hit. Implications for practice: these data may encourage health professionals to undertake sensitive questioning about violence, giving an opening for support.</p>}},
  author       = {{Rubertsson, Christine and Hildingsson, Ingegerd and Rådestad, Ingela}},
  issn         = {{0266-6138}},
  keywords     = {{Disclosure; Intimate partner violence; Postpartum; Pregnancy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{1--5}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Midwifery}},
  title        = {{Disclosure and police reporting of intimate partner violence postpartum : a pilot study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2008.01.003}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.midw.2008.01.003}},
  volume       = {{26}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}