Friday, March 30, 2012: 3:40 PM-5:00 PM
Pacific I (San Francisco Marriott Marquis)
Presentation Format:
Scientific Program Report
Learning Objectives:
- Explore how IPV survivors' perceptions of safety may differ from those of health care providers
- Discover how IPV survivors are likely to lack "red flags" or "danger signals" that providers might recognize, given survivors "reset" to a baseline level of constant danger
- Appreciate the limitations of using 'are you safe' questions when assessing safety for IPV surivors
This study examined health and social work records of pregnant survivors of recent IPV who reported being safe to return home. Many survivors reported specific reasons for feeling safe, not necessicarily indicating long-term safety. These survivors often have narrowed definitions of safety, focusing on temporary situations instead of global safety, which health providers must keep in mind when screening/counseling for IPV. There are significant implications for screening for IPV which often rely on a form of “do you feel safe?”.