Domestic violence & abuse; role of the dental team. Approaches to studying and understanding domestic violence

Objectives: A workshop for dental undergraduates was developed to educate them in recognising & managing domestic violence cases throughout their dental career. It aimed to illustrate the extent & impact of domestic violence; the types & effects of domestic violence; steps dentists can take to help/refer their patients. Agencies who provide services & interventions were represented. Feedback from attendees was analysed following the workshop and, if positive, the workshop would be incorporated into the dental undergraduate teaching programme.
Methods: A one day workshop was set up for 2nd Year dental undergraduates. External speakers including representatives from Women’s Aid, Police Service of Northern Ireland and Women’s Safety workers presented a variety of information to include; domestic violence signs, statistics for Northern Ireland, visual props e.g. photography and video evidence of facial/dental injuries and also information on working with the perpetrators. Opportunity for discussion in staff led workshops allowed the undergraduates to gain further knowledge in the area. A written questionnaire was completed by all attendees immediately following the workshop.
Results: Overwhelming positive feedback was received from course attendees, 60% of whom strongly felt it increased their awareness of domestic violence issues. The positive response received has encouraged us to roll out the programme to other dental undergraduate year groups.
Conclusion: A domestic violence training course is very effective in improving knowledge within the dental team; this knowledge at undergraduate level can be applied to everyday postgraduate life. It illustrates the responsibilities faced as a dental professional in recognising & reporting suspected domestic violence and making use of the appropriate agencies available for victims of domestic violence.