ACRRM highlights need for Rural Doctors' Family and Domestic Violence Education Package this White Ribbon Day

This White Ribbon Day, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) reaffirms its commitment to improving the health outcomes of all Australian’s through the launch of the Rural Doctors’ Family and Domestic Violence Education Package.

The education module draws on the experience of a national team of clinicians, and aims to strengthen doctors’ capacity to address family violence within their rural and remote practice community.

ACRRM President Associate Professor Ruth Stewart said: “We developed this module to increase awareness of the impact domestic and family violence can have on rural and remote communities.

“Over 12 months, an average of one woman per week is killed by a current or former partner*, and statistics indicate that the rate of domestic violence is higher in rural and regional areas^.

“It’s our role as leaders in rural health to highlight these statistics, and to do all that we can to strengthen our members ability to respond effectively to domestic and family violence.

“This module has been designed to equip GPs with the knowledge they need to help those impacted by domestic and family violence. It helps participants identify and understand domestic violence, provides management tools, and assists the participant to understand the role and responsibilities of the GP in helping patients affected by domestic violence.”

The module was developed by a national team of clinicians. Lead Clinician on the program, Dr Jennifer Delima, is a remote and rural GP based in Alice Springs, with further specialisation in clinical forensic and addiction medicine. She heads the central Australian Sexual Assault and Addiction Studies units.

On the module, Dr Delima said: “For rural and remote practitioners, the module will help them know how to provide holistic care for individual patients and the whole community.

“Domestic and family violence has for too long been a hidden phenomenon and a silent experience of grief and trauma.

“It has such an impact on the individuals, the women and the men and the children who are exposed to the violence as well as on the wider community. It models behaviour that can begin repetitive cycles of trauma and grief.

“We know that prolonged and persistent trauma experience in a population, in adults and even more so in children, predisposes people to chronic disease such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease; it’s a physical response to the mental issue, the mental exhaustion and tension.

“As GPs, we’re treating those symptoms downstream, but it’s imperative to treat the underlying cause and address the issue up stream if we’re ever going to change anything.”

Dr Delima believes this module helps to highlight the issue of domestic and family violence in communities where that’s needed most.

“There’s a lot of work happening in the cities in raising awareness for domestic and family violence, through marchers and awareness campaigns, but the rural and remote areas are always the silent bystander.

“Instead of support for the person who has been violated, there’s often a lot of shame, fear, and embarrassment in those communities.

“This module speaks to that and gives tools to practitioners to help us do something.

“In a small community, we can be powerful and effectively offer support to victims.”

Reflecting the diversity of people who are affected by domestic violence in rural and remote communities, the module was developed by doctors across Australia, from locations such as Cooktown, Nhulumbuy, Alice, Parkes and Port Hedland.

It is available at acrrm.org.au and is complimentary to all ACRRM members as part of their membership.

References:

* Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC), 2015

^ Grech, K. and Burgess, M. (2011), Trends and Patterns in domestic violence assaults: 2001 to 2010. Bureau Brief, Crime and Justice Statistics, Issue Paper no. 21. NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.