NCJ Number
141803
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 7 Issue: 3 Dated: (Fall 1992) Pages: 217-228
Date Published
1992
Length
12 pages
Annotation
The attitudes and practices of 96 doctors toward spousal assault victims in the Australian Capital Territory (Australia) were investigated by questionnaire surveys distributed to general practitioners.
Abstract
The findings indicate that although most doctors believed that members of their profession should have a role in the prevention and treatment of spouse abuse, many doctors may be failing to do so. Generally, the sample was fairly homogeneous attitudinally, although doctors who had been practicing for a number of years tended to have more conservative attitudes about the causes of spousal assault and about doctors' role in prevention. Female doctors had more liberal beliefs than male doctors about some aspects of spousal abuse causation and intervention. Female doctors, however, were less sympathetic toward spousal abuse victims in their own practices. Very few of the doctors had received any training in domestic violence issues; and for those who had, the training was minimal. Training apparently influenced some doctors' beliefs about spouse abuse. Overall, the findings are not unexpected, given the context of the historical and current Australian ethos that perpetuates traditional gender stratification and wife battering. 2 tables and 37 references