Wife battering: an emerging problem in public health
Nuttall, S.E.; Greaves, L.J.; Lent, B.
Canadian Journal of Public Health 76(5): 297-299
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-4263 PMID: 4084880 DOI: 10.2307/41990418Document Number: 426204
Wife battering is a complex phenomenon that has only recently attracted focused research attention. Within the field of public health, wife battering constitutes an important emerging problem. We attempt to identify and discuss aspects of wife battering that define it as a public health concern. To this end selected characteristics of 301 battered women, first-time users of a legal advocacy service in London, Ontario are examined. Our purpose is to add to our understanding of the nature and extent of wife battering in a Canadian sample. The perceptions of medical practitioners concerning the severity of wife battering and their recommendations for addressing this problem are discussed. Data are drawn from a survey of 29 family physicians with practices located in London, Ontario.