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Screening for Partner Violence: Direct Questioning or Self-Report?

From the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Herston, Australia.

Address reprint requests to: Joan Webster, Level 6, Ned Hanlon Building, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Butterfield Street, Herston QLD 4029, Australia; e-mail: joan_webster{at}health.qld.gov.au.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of a self-report checklist with a standard set of direct questions in identifying women who are experiencing domestic partner violence.

METHODS: Medical records were reviewed for evidence of positive partner violence for women attending the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital prenatal clinic between August and September 2002.

RESULTS: Records (n = 1,596) were audited, and 937 (58.7%) contained both forms. The self-report check list identified a greater number of "cases" of partner violence (151) than the direct questions (66), with the level of agreement between the two instruments being only "fair" (Kappa coefficient .34). Each of the methods identified 7 cases of major abuse, which would have been missed if only 1 instrument had been used. All cases where women stated that they were afraid of their partner using the direct questions were also identified using the self-report checklist.

CONCLUSION: A self-report checklist is an effective alternative to direct questioning in detecting women who are experiencing partner violence and is acceptable to women.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-3

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