Introduction
The purpose of this document is to supplement the guidance on
domestic violence written by Iona Heath and published by the
college in 1998 (1). At that time the issues of children living in
violent households were not addressed. Since then the government
has produced (link to policy framework, page 2)that can guide a
professional’s practice in this area. This document aims to offer
an interpretation of those documents and to develop professional
policy that can guide a general practitioner’s (or any other member
of the team’s) good practice. It does not repeat messages elsewhere
in the guidance about domestic violence nor does it address the
significant long-term health consequences for adults who lived in a
violent household as a child.
Domestic violence occurs between men and women and within same
sex partnerships. This document is written assuming a male
perpetrator and a female victim, because the frequency, context and
severity of the violence by men against women and the consequent
fear and sequelae for physical and mental health make it a much
larger public health problem than female against male violence (2).
However, the good practice discussed here is also relevant with a
female or same sex perpetrator.