The Midwife's Role In Domestic Violence Cases

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Conclusion
In conclusion to the information detailed above it is clear that domestic violence is a genuine concern for individuals, health professionals, the community, the government, the country and the world. It is clear that these issues have grown significantly over time and explanations of such actions have been altered and adapted by time and culture. Women who are brought up in ethnic minority communities are compelled to tolerate abusive relationships for the sake of their communities. It effects a massive number of people from the direct victims to the general public. In the majority of domestic violence cases reported, these involve abuse perpetrated by men against women and a substantial amount of these are young pregnant women. …show more content…

It is vital that midwives recognise the need for providing a suitable, private and quiet space in which the woman can feel comfortable discussing potentially difficult circumstances. The woman must also be informed about how her information will be recorded and, if necessary, shared. When the woman presents to the midwife she will already have a preconceived idea of the role the midwife will take. She will already see her as a trusted healthcare professional. This helps when it comes down to discussing otherwise confidential information. The woman is probably much more likely to discuss things further with someone of this authority. The midwife should act as an advocate for that woman and her family and speak up on her behalf. The midwife should offer the woman additional support where necessary and with the woman’s consent relevant referrals should be made. The midwife should also address any additional factors that may be associated with the domestic violence e.g. smoking or drug use. It has also been recognised that midwives should also bear other children in the family in mind. These children will also be at risk and therefore it is the midwife’s duty of care to address this. Woman who disclose details of abuse should be given access to 24 hour support. This could be a telephone number for her local hospital or specialist …show more content…

In a lot of cases the couple believes that pregnancy should be enjoyed as a partnership and should be shared. Excluding the father from antenatal appointments contradicts this belief and can lead to negative feelings between the couple. Although some trusts do recommend this to women it may be at the midwife’s discretion whether she proposes this to the individual woman. Midwives should always follow the 6 C’s. This will help deliver the correct level of care to any woman they see and also adheres to the service

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