Screening for domestic violence - Identifying, assisting, and empowering adult victims of abuse

Domestic Violence is an unfortunate component of many human relationships. Victims are primarily women, but all ages and socioeconomic groups are affected. Primary care physicians are often faced with the difficult task of identifying victims of abuse who may be afraid to disclose information or to ask for help. In this article, Dr Little provides effective, practical suggestions for communicating with and assisting patients whose only alternative is life-threatening silence.