Evaluation of the Cases of Domestic Violence Against Women Admitted to Emergency Room

Abstract

Aim: This study is designed to search the general characteristics of women who admitted to emergency room (ER) of İstanbul Fatih Sultan Mehmet Research and Training Hospital because of exposing to domestic violence.
Material and Method: Total 83 women those >15 years old who admitted to İstanbul Fatih Sultan Mehmet Research and Training Hospital between 01.01.2012- 01.07.2012 due to violence were included to the study. Women were evaluated prospectively from the hospital records of domestic violence and forensic records for their age, marital status, and the way of arrival to emergency room, the type of violence, work status, presence of chronic illnesses, presence of disability, cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, a special condition for violence.
Results: During the study period 83 women those admitted to ER were included to the study. Mean age was 34±9,7. Seventy nine of them (95,2%) were exposed to physical violence, 2 (2,4%) were exposed to sexual violence, 2 (2,4%) were exposed to verbal violence. Of the total 71 (85,5%) were married, 9 (10,8%) were illiterate, 15 (18,1%) were postgraduate, 3 (3,6%) were pregnant, 57 (68,7%) were unemployed, 19 (22,9%) had any chronic disease, 29 (34,9%) smoke cigarette, 4 (4,8%) drink alcohol. When we searched the person who applied violence, it was found that all married women were exposed to violence from their husbands; from 6 single women 4 (66,6%) were exposed to violence from their boy friends.
Discussion: Emergency rooms are important because they are first places those victims of domestic violence admitted. So it is necessary to assign the social service workers actively in hospitals to increase the direction of the patients to the counselors.