Dr. D’Andrea Joseph, MD (HH trauma surgeon)
Garry Lapidus (Director, Injury Prevention Center)
On October 19th at 12 noon Hartford Hospital will be holding a 2-hour domestic violence training program for male staff called the “10 x 10” campaign. The premise of the program is that 10 men are trained and then they go out into the community and talk to another 10, and they talk to another ten, and so forth.
What Is Domestic Violence?
- Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive, controlling behavior that can include physical abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, sexual abuse or financial abuse.
- It is a pervasive, life-threatening crime that affects thousands of individuals in Connecticut regardless of age, gender, economic status, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or education.
- Victims are left feeling scared, confused, dependent and insecure about their ability to survive on their own, financially or otherwise.
- The children of an abused parent must contend with these same fears and realities.
What are the different types of abuse?
- Physical abuse: Scratching, biting, grabbing or spitting, Shoving and pushing, Slapping and punching
- Emotional /psychological abuse: Name-calling and mocking, especially when targeting things you’re very sensitive about, Intimidating you when s/he is upset, Yelling in your face or positioning his/her body in a menacing way
Making humiliating remarks or gestures
- Economic abuse: Money is often a tool that abusers use to establish absolute control in their relationships. An abusive partner might take all measures to ensure that you’re entirely financially dependent on him/her to prevent you from leaving or feeling like you have any power or say in your relationship. Forbidding the victim to work or attend school, sabotaging employment opportunities by giving the victim a black eye or other visible injury prior to an important meeting, jeopardizing employment by stalking or harassing the victim at the workplace
- Stalking and harassment: Making unwanted visits or sending you unwanted messages (voicemails, text messages, emails, etc), following you, including installing GPS tracking software on your car or cell phone without your knowledge or consent, checking up on you constantly
- Sexual abuse: anysexual encounter that happens without your consent.
Why is domestic violence an important health care issue?
- As a Hartford Hospital trauma surgeon I see the immediate health consequences of domestic violence. Besides the severe injuries I treat at the hospital, domestic violence increases the risk of smoking, high-risk alcohol use, other injuries and homicide, mental health problems, sexual risk-taking, and late entry into prenatal care and poor nutrition.
- Approximately one third of the female patients in our emergency department are victims of domestic violence, half of those seeking general medical care, and up to 20% of those seeking prenatal care, report experiencing domestic violence.
Where can I get help?
Call 888-774-2900 for help or to talk to someone.
What factors predict domestic violence?
- Violence is a learned behavior. The single greatest predictor of domestic violence is growing up in a violent home. It does not allows follow this pattern but boys who live in a home watching their father beat their mother are more likely to become an abuser. Girls who live in a home watching their father beat their mother are more likely to become involved in an abusive relationship as an adult.
Why are men important to the prevention of domestic violence?
- Most men are not abusers but it’s clear that men are responsible for most of damage and injury so they must be part of the solution.
What is the 10 X 10 campaign?
- 10 men each talking to 10 other men and boys about healthy relationships and the prevention of domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.
- At HH we’ve scheduled a one hour training for male employees to build DV awareness, take action by teaching other men and boys what they have learned, and increase accountability in their community by involving others in domestic violence prevention.