CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to the Issues
2. Understanding Alcohol Abuse
3. Understanding Violence Against Women
4. Alcohol and Domestic Violence
5. Alcohol, Sexual Assault, and Rape
6. Prevention and Early Intervention
7. Screening and Assessment
8. Diagnosis and Treatment
9. Legal and Ethical Issues

Supplements
Fact Sheets
Videos
Resources

Silence Hurts
Alcohol Abuse and Violence Against Women

Domestic Violence Assessment Tips

When determining how to respond to domestic violence victims once they have been identified, the professional must think carefully about the questions he or she will ask. Professional organizations need to have protocols and policies in place that include clinical guides for effective assessment, intervention, documentation, and referral. It is important to remember that there are no typical victims or abusers. Be aware of your own assumptions before questioning a client. A danger assessment questionnaire and a risk assessment chart are sometimes helpful in determining whether a woman is in danger or what the danger is.

Below are several tips for assessing the client.¹⁸

• Assess the priority of safety for the victim. Is there immediate danger? Where is the perpetrator now? Where will the perpetrator be when the patient/client is finished?
• Assess the pattern and history of the abuse. Assess the perpetrator's physical, sexual, and psychological tactics, as well as the economic status of the client. How long has the violence been going on? Has the perpetrator harmed the client sexually? Does the perpetrator control the client's activities, money, or children?
• Assess the connection between domestic violence and the client's health issues. What is the impact of the abuse on the victim's physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being? What degree of control does the perpetrator exercise over the victim? How is the abusive behavior affecting the victim's health? (See Health Outcomes Chart).
• Assess the victim's current access to advocacy and support resources. Are there community resources available to the client? Has the client tried to use them in the past? If so, what happened? What additional resources (besides what you have been offered) are available now?
• Assess the patient's safety. Is there future risk of death or significant injury? Ask about the perpetrator's tactics: use of weapons, frequency or severity of abuse, stalking or suicide threats, use of alcohol. If there are children, ask about their physical safety.¹⁹ Remember, a client must realize that if she tells the professional about child abuse or maltreatment, the professional is mandated, by law, to reveal the abuse to legal authorities or to Child Protection Services.

In addition, professionals who are treating women with alcohol abuse need to screen for domestic violence and sexual assault.