Message From the Director

Need for Awareness
Dental professionals are the least likely of all health professionals to intervene in domestic violence situations.

Bulletin Goals

Connection Between Dentistry and Family Violence
Intervention
Because most domestic violence injuries are to the head and neck, dentists are in a unique position to respond.

Barriers to Intervention Reported by Dental Professionals
Eight specific issues prevent dentists from intervening when patients are abused.

Training Highlights
The basics of abuse, including the types of abuse and behavioral dynamics, are featured components of the training model.

Curriculum Topics
The family violence training model covers fourteen topics and familiarizes dental professionals with community resources.

Openness Encourages Disclosure
Objectivity and a nonjudgmental attitude may help patients confide their situations.

Intervention Basics
Dos and don'ts for intervening in cases of suspected violence.

Participant Evaluation Results
Statistics show changes in dental professionals' attitudes toward reporting domestic abuse after the training.

Impact of the Training Program
Training made a significant impact in teaching dental professionals how to identify and report abuse.

Conclusion
Educating dental professionals increases the likelihood they will screen for abuse and appropriately intervene if necessary.

Notes

Acknowledgments

About the Author

For Further Information

This document was prepared by Denver VALE Board/Denver Victim Services 2000, under grant number 97-VF-GX-K001, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this document are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.