Ending domestic violence is everyone's responsibility: an integrated approach to domestic violence treatment

Abstract

According to the American Medical Association diagnostic and treatment guidelines, "...silence, disregard or disinterest convey tacit approval of domestic violence." Stopping domestic violence requires a coordinated community response in which health care providers, criminal justice systems, and social service agencies join forces to confront the violence. Nurses must be part of this coordinated response by becoming knowledgeable about the dynamics of domestic violence and the ways to recognize it. Topics include a medical and legal overview, gender involvement, solution approaches and program examples, outcomes, and implications for nurses.