There are different ways in which a public health nurse comes to learn that a client they are working with is (or has) experienced intimate partner violence. The sharing of an experience or history of intimate partner violence may occur:
1
Within the context of a discussion about other topics e.g., parenting, healthy relationships, social supports etc
2
When a public health nurse introduces and conducts an agency-required assessment or screening tool
3
When a public health nurse observes or recognizes risk indicators, health effects, or patterns of behaviour associated with experiences of intimate partner violence and then decides to initiate an indicator-based assessment
4
When a therapeutic relationship, characterized by trust, has been established and the client feels safe to initiate the conversation and share their experience (unprompted) with the public health nurse.
The identification and assessment of intimate partner violence however requires an understanding of the different types of intimate partner violence (including perpetrator’s use of power and coercive control), knowledge about risk indicators, health effects and common behaviour patterns, as well as skills in knowing when and how to initiate an assessment.
Learning Outcomes (examples)
Teaching and Learning Activities
Describe different types of family violence
Identify risk and protective factors for family violence
Understand women’s experiences and decision-making processes in the context of an abusive relationship
Describe the prevalence of intimate partner violence
Identify the types of intimate partner violence
List risk factors, health effects and patterns of behaviour associated with intimate partner violence (including during pregnancy)
- Complete “IPV Dynamics + Responding to Teens” (Responding to Domestic Violence in Clinical Settings)
Discuss how power and control are core characteristics of intimate terrorism (a type of intimate partner violence)
Describe how perpetrators use different coercive or abusive tactics to control a survivor’s thoughts, feelings, and actions
Use the “Power and Control” and “Equality” Wheels in practice to increase client’s awareness of the characteristics of violent and controlling relationships, as well as characteristics of non-violent relationships
- Informed by the Power and Control Wheel, watch these short videos and discuss with peer/team the different tactics used by perpetrators, including:Physical and sexual violence
Intimidation
Emotional Abuse
Isolation
Minimizing, denying, and blaming
Use of children
Male privilege
Economic abuse
Coercion and threats - With a peer, practice strategies for introducing and discussing the Power & Control Wheel and Equality Wheels to a client
Recognize indicators of suspected intimate partner violence
Create safe conditions to ask about intimate partner violence
Demonstrate safe and supportive responses to clients
Identify strategies to support clients who are not ready to disclose an experience of intimate partner violence (but may actually be experiencing it)
- Complete the module “Psychological Abuse- Power and Control Issues” (Responding to Domestic Violence in Clinical Settings)
- Read the PHN-PREP practice guidance “Initiating a Discussion about IPV: Indicator-Based Assessment.” Then with a peer/team, practice introducing and conducting an indicator-based assessment based on your observation of risks, health effects, and patterns of behaviour.
LEARNING OUTCOMES (EXAMPLES)
Describe different types of family violence
Identify risk and protective factors for family violence
LEARNING OUTCOMES (EXAMPLES)
Understand women’s experiences and decision-making processes in the context of an abusive relationship
TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES
LEARNING OUTCOMES (EXAMPLES)
Describe the prevalence of intimate partner violence
Identify the types of intimate partner violence
List risk factors, health effects and patterns of behaviour associated with intimate partner violence (including during pregnancy)
TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES
- Complete “IPV Dynamics + Responding to Teens” (Responding to Domestic Violence in Clinical Settings)
- Complete “Abuse in Early Pregnancy” (Responding to Domestic Violence in Clinical Settings)
LEARNING OUTCOMES (EXAMPLES)
Discuss how power and control are core characteristics of intimate terrorism (a type of intimate partner violence)
Describe how perpetrators use different coercive or abusive tactics to control a survivor’s thoughts, feelings, and actions
Use the “Power and Control” and “Equality” Wheels in practice to increase client’s awareness of the characteristics of violent and controlling relationships, as well as characteristics of non-violent relationships
TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES
- Informed by the Power and Control Wheel, watch these short videos and discuss with peer/team the different tactics used by perpetrators, including:
Physical and sexual violence
Intimidation
Emotional Abuse
Isolation
Minimizing, denying, and blaming
Use of children
Male privilege
Economic abuse
Coercion and threats - With a peer, practice strategies for introducing and discussing the Power & Control Wheel and Equality Wheels to a client
LEARNING OUTCOMES (EXAMPLES)
Recognize indicators of suspected intimate partner violence
Create safe conditions to ask about intimate partner violence
Demonstrate safe and supportive responses to clients
Identify strategies to support clients who are not ready to disclose an experience of intimate partner violence (but may actually be experiencing it)
TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES
- Complete the module “Psychological Abuse- Power and Control Issues” (Responding to Domestic Violence in Clinical Settings)
- Read the PHN-PREP practice guidance “Initiating a Discussion about IPV: Indicator-Based Assessment.” Then with a peer/team, practice introducing and conducting an indicator-based assessment based on your observation of risks, health effects, and patterns of behaviour.