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Abstract
Background. Legislation, policy and practices have been developed to tackle the problem of domestic abuse (DA) across the world. Perpetrator programmes have been introduced in Northern Ireland (NI) and serious intervention research is underway. Regardless of these policies and interventions, DA is still reported as being statistically significant during pregnancy.
Aim. The aim of this research was to understand the perceptions of pregnant women who experienced DA during pregnancy and of their abusive partners and to explore the network of care provided.
Methods. The design was exploratory and descriptive incorporating two phases. Data were collected over a 20-month period using semi-structured interviews and a short survey. The sample was obtained through Women's Aid and Focus on Family, who acted as gatekeepers in confirming the eligibility of the participants. Phase One was semi-structured interviews with a purposeful sample of nine women who experienced DA in pregnancy and three male abusers who abused their pregnant partners. Dyads of abused and their abusive partner were interviewed separately. In addition, 18 multiprofessionals providing services to abused women and perpetrators were interviewed. Phase Two was a short survey sent to all heads of midwifery in NI exploring current antenatal education for prevention of DA. Ethical approval was granted by the Office of Research Ethics for Northern Ireland (ORECNI), University of Ulster and research governance was obtained from the five health and social care trusts (HSCT).
Findings. Women's perceptions of DA were focused on their experience of physical violence and verbal abuse; however, sexual abuse was not evident in their stories to constitute DA, and this is new knowledge. The three male abusive partners in this study recognised their own abusive behaviour and the need to engage in perpetrator programmes. The pregnant women and their abusive partners requested additional relationship education for all prospective parents and felt that the antenatal period was an opportune time. Midwives requested further education and training to prepare them for their role in preventing DA in pregnancy.
Conclusion. The antenatal period has been identified as a time when a discussion regarding healthy relationships is acceptable. The teachable moment for impacting on the lives of mothers, fathers and children is the antenatal period and this time should be used to raise awareness, educate and support...