Health Stu Fac

September 2006

Remeber: October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month!

In the News
  • Domestic Violence Takes a Toll in the Workplace
  • Kids Who Witness Abuse at Home May Bully Others
  • Domestic Violence Linked to Early Infant Death
    • Materials
  • Domestic Violence Awareness Project: 2006 Resource Packet
  • Sexual Violence Prevention: Beginning the Dialogue
    • Announcements
  • Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day: Wednesday, October 11th!
  • Reminder: DATE HAS CHANGED! 2007 National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence
  • American Medical Students Association Region X Conference

    In the News: At home, at school, and in the workplace: IPV is everywhere.

    Domestic Violence Takes a Toll in the Workplace

    Getting the attention of money minded corporations in the realm of employee health has always been an uphill battle. In terms of Domestic Violence, a recent report claims that victimized women lost an average of 249 work hours, 40% more than non-victims. IPV costs about $1.8 billion dollars in lost productivity, according to the CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. This lost productivity encompasses distractions such as difficulty concentrating, working slower, and having to repeat work or doing none at all. Victims of DV missed, on average, 143 hours of work to tardiness or absenteeism, 26% more than non-victims. What can corporations due to promote employee health and productivity?

    To find out more please refer to Reuters Health: Friday, August 18, 2006

    Kids Who Witness Abuse at Home May Bully Others

    A recent report claims that children who “witness abusive behavior in the home are more likely to bully other children and are at greater risk of depression and anxiety.” It is well founded in DV literature that children exposed to violence at home have an increased risk of behavior problems, but there is little research on bullying, specifically. In a recent conversation with the press, Dr. Nerissa Bauer claims that “bullying mirrors abusive relationships between adults, in that it involves recurrent aggression by a more powerful person over a less powerful one, with the intent to harm.” In her recent study, out of the University of Washington in Seattle, she looks at children between the ages of 6 and 13, exposed to domestic violence. Nearly one-third of the children claimed that they bullied others, girls being the bully more so than boys. Nearly three-fourths were victims of bullying by other children. It was also found that children who were more physically aggressive were more likely to be associated with psychiatric co-morbidities, such as anxiety or depression. Bauer’s study backs the practical advice that "teachers who deal with children who consistently bully others may want to consider circumstances in that child's life including the home environment,” further emphasizing the claim that screening for DV can be done by any astute community member.

    For more information please refer to the Journal of Pediatrics, August 2006.

    Domestic Violence Linked to Early Infant Death

    Dr. Ahmed of Johns Hopkins University reports in the American Journal of Public health that babies whose mothers are exposed to DV during pregnancy are twice as likely to die in the first few weeks of life. The study, conducted in Uttar Pradesh (UP), a state of northern India where violence and concomitant infant mortality is commonplace, holds greater significance for the worldwide women’s health community. Researchers looked at data from over two thousand UP women. Nearly 19% experienced physical violence during pregnancy, and their infants were 36% more likely to die before reaching a first birthday. Ahmed and his colleges attributed this correlation between violence and infant mortality to a variety of factors: physical violence could harm the fetus, stress and poor nutrition could be culprits as well. Also, victims may also be less likely to receive proper prenatal care. They concluded that efforts to decrease infant mortality cannot begin in the birthing room – domestic violence must be addressed early, not only for the sake of the mother but the child as well.

    For more information please refer to the American Journal of Public Health, August 2006.

    Materials

    Domestic Violence Awareness Project: 2006 Resource Packet

    "The 2006 Resource Packet includes informational materials, samples and order forms for items available from the organizations represented on the project advisory group. This year's packet also includes a summary of the Violence Against Women Act of 2005."

    For a copy please visit: http://new.vawnet.org/dvap/dvap2006.php

    Sexual Violence Prevention: Beginning the Dialogue

    The CDC reports that: “Sexual Violence is a serious public health problem with extensive short- and long-term health consequences. Sexual Violence Prevention: Beginning the Dialogue identifies concepts and strategies that may be used as a foundation for planning, implementing, and evaluating sexual violence prevention activities.”

    For a copy please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/SVPrevention.pdf

    Announcements

    Health Cares about Domestic Violence Day

    Domestic Violence is a Health Care Issue.

    Are you interested in being part of a nationally coordinated effort to support, educate and empower providers to assess for abuse in your community?

    Would you like the work you are already doing to contribute to a nation-wide push to improve healthcare's response to domestic violence?

    Then join us for the eighth annual Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day (HCADV Day) on October 11, 2006!

    HCADV Day is a nationally recognized awareness-raising day that takes place annually on the second Wednesday of October. Organized by the Family Violence Prevention Fund, with co-sponsorship from AMSA, HCADV Day aims to reach members of the healthcare community and educate them about the critical importance of assessing for domestic violence, as well as the long term health implications of domestic violence and lifetime exposure to violence.

    There are many ways that you can provide leadership on your campus as part of HCADV Day and the Family Violence Prevention Fund has an Organizing Packet (Click here for the Packet) to help you get started. Consider writing a newsletter article (Click here for a sample article) or an op ed for a local paper; providing information to your classmates and faculty on routine assessment for domestic violence; and passing out (free!) buttons, patient education brochures and training tools to your classmates and faculty. Visit http://www.endabuse.org/hcadvd/ for more information.

    If you have any questions about your involvement, email Anna Marjavi anna@endabuse.org

    DATE HAS CHANGED! Family Violence Prevention Fund's 2007 National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence

    Registration Opens Online
    September 30, 2006
    Pre-conference sessions: March 15, 2007
    Conference: March 16 - March 17, 2007

    Location:
    Grand Hyatt San Francisco
    San Francisco, California, USA

    The 4th Biennial National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence aims to advance the health care system's response to domestic violence. The conference attracts the nation's leading medical, public health and family violence experts from across the U.S. with increased international participation. Workshops and plenary sessions highlight the latest research and most innovative clinical responses to domestic violence, with a focus on the work being done by physicians, physician assistants, dentists, nurses, nurse midwives, mental and behavioral health providers, social workers, domestic violence experts, and others.

    The Family Violence Prevention Fund is especially encouraging Health Professional Students to submit abstracts reflecting student-led research, domestic violence campus reforms, and collaborative student/advocacy programs. A pre-conference session specifically focusing on professional health students and domestic violence activism will be held on March 15, 2007. Students will receive a reduced conference registration price and are eligible for scholarships. Please contact Anna Marjavi (anna@endabuse.org p:415-252-8900) with further questions.

    View Conference Purpose and Goals

    Registration opens September 30, 2006 online: http://www.endabuse.org/health/conference/

    View content from our 2004 National Conference on Health Care and Domestic Violence in Boston, MA.

     

    American Medical Students Association Region X Conference

    "Proactive Medicine: Putting Prevention into Practice"

    Date: Friday, November 10 to Sunday, November 12

    Location: UCLA School of Medicine

    A conference for both medical and premedical students about preventative approaches to the practice of medicine

    For more information please visit: http://www.amsa.org/region/10conf.cfm

    Health Students and Faculty Against Domestic Violence is a monthly listserv aimed to network health students and faculty from across the country who are interested in improving the health sector response to domestic violence. To subscribe visit http://www.endabuse.org/programs/healthcare/, click on 'Read More' under Join Monthly Listservs , and click on 'Subscribe' under Health Students and Faculty Against Domestic Violence Listserv.

    We encourage you to use this listserv to announce upcoming events you are planning or to pose questions to the group. To post an announcement or ask a question, send an e-mail to anita.nageswaran@gmail.com.

    The listserv is moderated by Anita Nageswaran, Health Intern with the Family Violence Prevention Fund and Second Year Medical Student at the University of California, San Francisco with the research assitance of Elena Maclachlan.

    Thank you for contributing to our community!

    To learn more please visit our website http://www.endabuse.org/health