Domestic Violence
This section specifies on the management of Domestic Violence based on OSCC Policy.
Definition
Domestic violence (Domestic Violence (amendment) Act 2012) is the commission of one or more of the following acts:
- Willfully or knowingly placing or attempting to place the victim in fear of physical injury;
- Causing physical injury to the victim by such act which is known or ought to have been known would result in physical injury;
- Compelling the victim by force or threat to engage in any conduct or act, sexual or otherwise from which the victim has right to abstain;
- Confining or detaining the victim against the victim’s will;
- Causing mischief or destruction or damage to property with intent to cause or knowing that it is likely to cause distress or annoyance to the victim;
- Causing psychological abuse which includes emotional injury to the victim;
- Causing the victims to suffer delusions by using any intoxicating substance or any other substance without the victim’s consent or if the consent is given, the consent was unlawfully obtained; or
- In the case where the victim is a child, causing the victim to suffer delusions by using any intoxicating substance or any other substance; and
- By a person whether by himself or a third party, against:
- his or her spouse
- his or her former spouse
- a child
- an incapacitated adult
- any other member of the family
Types of Protection Order
- Interim Protection Order, IPO (Domestic Violence Act of 1994)
- Protection Order, PO (Domestic Violence Act of 1994)
An Interim Protection Order is issued by the court pending investigations of an offence prohibiting the person against whom the order is made from using domestic violence against the victim. A police report must be lodged to obtain an Interim Protection Order
An Interim Protection Order is issued by the court pending investigations of an offence prohibiting the person against whom the order is made from using domestic violence against the victim. A police report must be lodged to obtain an Interim Protection Order
Work Process
- Triage
- History Taking
- Physical Examination
- Investigations
- Blood and urine investigations shall be ordered as necessary.
- Radio imaging shall be ordered as necessary.
- Referral
- Further Care & Protection
- If the survivor is still at risk of further injury by the spouse, unsafe to be discharged home and has no social support, temporary lodging or safe shelter home shall be arranged for the survivor.
- The Medical Social Worker Department or Social Welfare Department shall be contacted to arrange temporary safe shelter home and social support for the survivor
- Lodging Police Report
Survivors shall be triaged according to the severity of the injuries sustained. Critical or semi critical survivors shall be triaged to the red or yellow zones respectively. Non critical survivors shall be immediately ushered to a designated OSCC facility.
A complete relevant history shall be taken which include chief complaint, mechanism of injury, past medical and surgical history and relevant social history.
Thorough examination of the survivor starting with a primary survey and followed by a secondary survey shall be conducted.
Survivors who require referral to other clinical specialties or who require admission shall be managed accordingly
The survivor shall be assisted to lodge a police report where appropriate.
Others
- Support & Informing Family
- Survivors of a legal consenting age may choose not to inform family members of their situation.
- For survivors with life threatening injuries, family members shall be informed regardless of the survivor’s refusal to inform the family.
- Follow up by health staff after discharge
- All high risk domestic violence cases referred to the medical social workeror social welfare officer shall be followed up either by conducting a home visit or contacted by phone.
- For non-high risk domestic violence cases, further follow up by phone or home visit shall be done if necessary.