Book Review

In the UK each week, two women are killed by their partners. The crime survey for England and Wales reports the prevalence of lifetime partner abuse to be experienced by approximately a third of all women and a fifth of all men. With these figures in mind, it follows that paramedics are likely to come into contact with victims at some point, especially as 7% of the women and 5% of the men victims describe abuse in the 12 months preceding the survey. However, as with most health-care professions there is a lack of attention given to domestic and sexual violence in paramedic training and professional learning.

As a result, many paramedics may feel anxious due to uncertainty, or about their role when they are called out to a situation where there is a high risk that some form of abuse is involved. This is why the ABC of Domestic and Sexual Violence is an excellent resource. It succinctly gives the facts regarding the scope of the problem, and provides information on what to do when faced with a situation where abuse is either proven or suspected.