Affilia Fall 2000Van Hook Help Seeking for Violence: Views of Survivors

This study of reports of physical abuse by women in medical clinics identified the barriers to reporting abuse, including time constraints and providers ’ and patients ’ attitudes and help-seeking patterns, and the responses that women find most helpful. Feminist principles of organizing—consciousness raising, bottom-up organizing, respect for women’s definition of the solution, and awareness of the impact of the political—can help guide interventions with these women. Every year, millions of women experience physical violence with the accompanying risk of death, injury, and emotional trauma. Yet many do not report the abuse, remain unidentified, and hence do not receive the help they need (Dwyer