How common was severe violence in the histories of surveyed medical students?

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Physicians play a key role in society’s response to violence against women. Their professional role gives them opportunities to talk privately with women, identify victims of abuse, and offer support. However, physicians’ own histories of victimization may undermine their ability to assist battered women.

Researchers used an anonymous self-report survey to describe the violence histories of students enrolled at one medical school and explore relationships between those histories, current well-being, help seeking, and expected future effects on education and clinical care of patients.

Valid surveys were returned by 472 of 810 students. Of respondents, 53% reported experiencing one or more forms of severe violence: 30% reported severe physical abuse as a child; 6% sexual abuse as a child by a family member; 13% sexual abuse as a child by a non-family member; 22% severe partner violence; and 7% sexual assault as an adult.

Participants with a history of severe violence were more likely to report feeling downhearted and blue. Among participants with a severe violence history, some reported that their experiences would interfere with feeling good about themselves (32%), developing relationships (38%), working effectively (11%), participating in courses dealing with violence and abuse (15%), and assisting patients with experiences similar to their own (18%).

Women students experienced more severe physical and sexual violence and expected more future difficulties in their personal and work lives. The researchers discussed the results in the context of the history of gender discrimination in medicine and the need for new methods to train physicians to identify and assist victims of partner violence.