The notion of an “invisible epidemic” is terrifying. We all just went through a visible epidemic that was bad enough. An invisible one is downright unthinkable. Yet, invisible epidemics do occur, and domestic violence is perhaps the most notable one to date.
Some estimates point to 27% of women worldwide having experienced sexual or physical partner violence at some point in their lives. That’s one in four women you’d encounter daily. In the US alone, where the data collection is reasonably reliable, the figure jumps to 41%.
A University of Chicago research team sought to tackle the issue of domestic violence underreporting. They partnered with a host of Chicago city agencies and merged emergency room visits as well as medical records from the University’s medical center over 10 years (2008 to 2018). The team then compiled information on crime victimization from Chicago police and focused their analysis on adult ER patients who received an X-ray.
Roughly 60 out of every 10,000 people who received an X-ray later reported domestic violence victimization within a handful of days of their ER visit. Yet, only 5.5 out of 10,000 revealed they were the victims of domestic violence to ER medical professionals. Clearly, domestic violence survivors are more likely to report to the police than to medical professionals.
In many cases, law enforcement is not well equipped to manage the medical and social needs of domestic violence victims. The institutions that are better trained and equipped are medical providers and social service agencies. The task ahead is figuring out how to link the abused to the proper agencies and take advantage of their ER visits.
In terms of the ER, the data suggests that injuries to certain body parts are more frequently the result of domestic violence. The neck, head, wrists, hands, forearms, and elbows are often cited. The Lutheran Settlement House Bilingual Domestic Violence Program out of Philadelphia is experimenting with healthcare providers to better support victims but addressing shame and lack of trust lies at the heart of the reticence to report.
