NCJ Number
149611
Journal
Social Policy Volume: 24 Issue: 3 Dated: (Spring 1994) Pages: 58-62
Date Published
1994
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The author contends that violence should be viewed as a health care priority to shift the focus from punishing violent offenders to targeting prevention and treatment for violence victims.
Abstract
Family violence, in particular, is one form of violence that health care reform can address. Over the next decade, millions of children and adults will suffer from health care problems associated with family violence. Family violence is not only an individual health care problem; it also strains the health care system. Some studies estimate that 30 percent of all emergency room visits by women may be the result of battering. Further, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 1.4 million yearly visits to physicians are for the treatment of battering-related injuries. While current health care reform bills do not address the health care issues surrounding family violence, some government and private agencies are beginning to recognize the problem. The Centers for Disease Control has established a Center for Violence Prevention and Control, and the Violence Against Women Act will probably be enacted by Congress in 1994. The American Medical Association has also focused on improving the medical care of abused partners, children, and the elderly, and the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Hospitals and Health Care Organizations has taken steps to improve the medical treatment of domestic violence victims. The importance of including violence-related health problems in health care reform legislation is stressed.