Schmidt Salita Law Team recognizes October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Though we have made remarkable progress in increasing awareness and improving treatment of brain injury, there is a major segment of the brain injury community that receives little attention: survivors who sustain their injuries as a result of domestic violence.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is extremely common, with estimates of nearly 1 in 3 women reporting violence from a partner. IPV is stigmatizing and can feel embarrassing, and it traverses all socioeconomic, ethnic, and political boundaries. Unfortunately, it is also true that the majority of injuries reported by women are to the neck and higher (Wu et al, 2010). Abusers will often hit their victims on the head to conceal bruises. An estimated 36% of domestic violence survivors have sustained injuries to the head, neck, or face. Women seeking medical attention for these injuries are 7.5 times more likely to be survivors of domestic violence than women with other bodily injuries. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) may also be associated with sexual assault with or without the experience of domestic violence. Along with blows to the head, domestic violence victims often experience trauma-inducing, terrifying strangulation (most victims refer to it as “choking”), chokeholds, or attempted drowning – all which can affect the brain.
Here are some actionable tips as you work with people experiencing brain injury that might also be experiencing domestic violence:
Domestic violence is ubiquitous and TBIs are invisible. It is helpful, when assessing for domestic violence, to first inform an individual that because injuries to the head are so common in relationships, you are now discussing these important issues with all patients. It may take time for a survivor to trust a provider enough to disclose how the TBI occurred. In fact, a provider may be the first and only person a survivor will have or may ever tell about the abuse. Domestic violence assessment questions must be asked, sometimes multiple times, and always with trauma-informed compassion. Never assess for domestic violence in front of a dating or marital partner, as this person may be the cause of the TBI and there may later be retaliation for the survivor.
Everyone has a role to play in supporting domestic violence victims during this difficult time, and during times of restricted movement, we need more allies than ever who are willing to support domestic violence victims. We hope you will join us as we weather this storm.
A Schmidt Salita Personal Injury Lawyer can come to your home, the hospital, or a discreet public setting chosen by you for your initial visit. The Schmidt Salita Law Team strives to provide personal injury legal services with a personal touch to help the victims of personal injury through a very difficult time in their lives.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Dean M. Salita, with more than 30 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney.
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