Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital

Initial calls for universal screening for domestic violence by health care workers date back over two decades (Hillard 1985). During the early 1990’s the agenda was subsequently driven by the introduction of medical and nursing guidelines supporting the procedure (Braham et al 1992, ACOG Technical Bulletin 1995). These guidelines provided a health related rationale for screening and screening methods and tools that were tailored for use in health care settings. Since that time and despite a general reluctance by health care providers, the momentum for routine screening has increased. This is partly because governments, both state and national, have made domestic violence prevention a major priority and have supported the introduction of screening programs into health care facilities (Webster 1994) and partly due to a changing cultural perception of domestic violence as both an important criminal and public health issue (Webster 1996). However, as the momentum for universal screening increased, questions began to surface about its effectiveness. Underpinning screening is an assumption that women experiencing violence will be identified, referred to an appropriate agency and receiv