Family/domestic violence: How to intervene? How to prevent?

n Ensure privacy and safety. n Establish rapport. n Use professional translators. Too often, the only translator available is a family member or a community member whose translation is ineffective in finding the truth. n Discuss the limits of confidentiality. n Frame your questions as common and routine. The patient should not feel as if she is being singled out. n Ask respectful and nonjudgmental questions. n Gather behavioral descriptions of what happened. n Use open-ended and direct questions. n Acknowledge and accommodate various language and cultural perspectives. n Listen to the patient’s perspective. INTRODUCTION