Violence between women in an urban emergency department patient population

Abstract

Objective: To determine what percentage of women presenting to an urban emergency department (ED) for any reason had been the victims of violence committed by another woman in the previous year.

Methods: This was a prospective study of a consecutive sample of female patients of legal age presenting to the ED between 8 AM and 12 midnight over an 11-week period. Patients were asked a series of questions adapted from the George Washington University Universal Violence Prevention Screening Protocol. Non-English-speaking patients, those unable to give informed consent, and those meeting regional criteria for major trauma were excluded.

Results: One thousand six hundred seventy-six women participated; 426 (25%) refused. Of the 1,250 women interviewed, 118 (9.4%; 95% CI = 7.8% to 11.1%) reported being assaulted by another woman in the previous 12 months. Compared with the nonvictims, the victims were more frequently younger and single. The most common forms of assault were slapping, grabbing, and shoving (54.7% of victims). These were followed by being choked, kicked, bitten, or punched (46.2%). Eighteen percent of the assaults involved a weapon or an object. Five percent of the victims described being forced to have sex. Thirty-seven percent of the victims contacted the police, 13% required medical attention, 17% pursued legal action, and 10% sought follow-up counseling.

Conclusions: Nine percent of the women in the study sample had been assaulted by another woman in the previous year. Further attention to the recognition and management of violence committed by women against other women may be warranted to ensure that patients receive appropriate treatment and referral.