NCJ Number
155657
Editor(s)
J Shepherd
Date Published
1994
Length
206 pages
Annotation
A team of experts summarizes information relevant to those who treat victims of violence and to those at risk of violence in health care professions.
Abstract
Contributors include psychiatrists, criminologists, a surgeon, a nurse, a lawyer, and a family practitioner who was assaulted during a consultation. Because health care workers often meet victims of domestic and other intentional violence and their relatives, chapters are presented that deal with both of these areas. Chapters describe what it feels like to be a victim of violence and how best to overcome the inevitable physical circumstances of violent crime. Also discussed are at-risk groups such as battered wives and delinquent young men, the epidemiology of violence, and victims' needs. A description of a program for the care of victims of violence notes that it targets interrelated physical, psychological, and psychiatric needs. The book includes details and advice on applications for victim compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and other agencies in the United Kingdom. Practical advice on the avoidance of violence is given, particularly regarding home visits in high-crime areas, communication skills, clinic design, and liaison with community crime prevention initiatives. Appended names and addresses of voluntary and statutory support agencies and their areas of expertise, as well as a subject index