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Pregnancy is a life-changing event which in some cases may trigger domestic violence. |
It is still widely considered inappropriate in maternity units to inquire about possible domestic violence.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE can sometimes begin with pregnancy, according to researcher Marianne Notko of the University of Jyv?skyl?. ?It?s alarming that just when one would expect everything to be going well in the relationship, violence can occur.? As several international studies have also shown, pregnancy and childbirth do not provide a guarantee against physical abuse within a relationship.
While carrying out her study, Notko was surprised by the scale of the taboo within the healthcare profession on violence experienced by pregnant women. When carers were asked to distribute questionnaires to expecting mothers on experiences of violence they might have had in an intimate relationship, some of the carers refused. ?They considered it prurient in that phase of a woman?s life,? Notko says. Fears of offending the patient generally turned out to be unwarranted, however ? respondents were usually grateful to have been asked. Victims of violence are given the opportunity to meet with social workers and psychiatric professionals in the hospital.
A difficult phase
The study showed that almost four hundred pregnant women treated at the Central Hospital of Central Finland in Jyv?skyl? have experienced physical abuse within an intimate relationship. Nearly one-third of respondents had experienced kinship violence at some stage in their lives. Of this proportion, a few per cent were ongoing victims of psychological, sexual or other physical violence or other abuse at the time the study was carried out. It was later noticed within the hospital?s gynaecological clinic that more women coming for treatment have experienced violence.
Project manager Minna Juutilainen says that as much as 40 per cent of the women coming for treatment reported having been victim of domestic violence. According to researchers, the onset of violence within a relationship is often related to many conflicting feelings that accompany impending parenthood. The nature of the relationship changes, and having children brings its own tensions. ?Fatherhood can trigger many things relating to the man?s own life that are not very well noticed here. We tend to focus only on the woman?s wellbeing,? Juutilainen explains.
Men often react physically to difficult emotional experiences, and the reaction can sometimes take the form of violence. Violent behaviour within a relationship usually begins suddenly. ?It is rare that violence is present in a relationship from the very beginning.? It is also hard when choosing a partner to assess whether he or she will be violent, as violent partners come from a wide variety of backgrounds. One characteristic that can be a predictor of future problems is a strict conception of gender roles.
Violence and gynaecological disorders
Victims make more frequent use of health services than others.
?Headaches, back pains and even heart problems can be symptoms of the poor state of health and wellbeing associated with victims of domestic violence,? says Adjunct Professor Juha Holma of the University of Jyv?skyl?. Relationship violence has been shown to contribute to an especially large proportion of gynaecological problems, according to Juutilainen.
The study also revealed that care staff are not always able to spot victims of violence as well as they think they are. In many cases, incidents of violence are only revealed by direct questioning.
SAILA KIUTTU ? STT
HT
LEHTIKUVA - SOILE KALLIO - SARI GUSTAFSSON
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