Information for Professionals

Indicators and signs of abuse

Your patient or client may seem afraid of her partner and she may;

• Talk about his temper, jealousy, anger or possessiveness.
• Have bruises or injuries often, with the excuse of “accidents.”
• She may have a history of alcohol or substance misuse.
• She may always be accompanied by her partner to appointments.
• Have an erratic attendance for work, college, appointments etc.
• Seem controlled and stopped from seeing family and friends.

Supporting your patient/client

When a patient or client discloses to you that she is experiencing (or has experienced domestic violence) this indicates that she trusts you and values your help or advice.

Keep in mind;

• Confidentiality is crucial.
• Listen and be supportive but non-judgemental.
• Assure her that no-one deserves to be abused, despite what her abuser has told her.
• Remind her that being violent is against the law in Ireland.
• Give her accurate and relevant information about services and supports available to her.
• Respect her decisions and let her know that you are here to support her.
• You may need to document the disclosure and any injuries.
• Remember the most dangerous time for a victim of domestic violence is when she is just about to leave her abuser.

You can make you workplace/clinic/office a safe place for women to disclose domestic violence by;

• Displaying posters, brochures and information on Domestic violence services and supports. See Information Resources for further details
• Put information on services in the women’s toilets so that women can discreetly pick up information if they need to. Contact your local domestic violence services for stickers, leaflets etc.
• Encourage all staff to be familiar with local domestic violence services and supports and how they should respond if a patient or client discloses domestic violence to them

For GP’s, see the following PDFs:

Domestic Violence Quick Reference Guide (339 KB)

Domestic Violence Summary Sheet (144 KB)