The following five key findings emerged throughout this research. These points relate to the summaries of recommendations and ‘good practice’ which are located at the end of each results section.

1. Women present to healthcare professionals for the validation of their experiences.

Due to a lack of uniformity in treatment options, not least as a result of a lack of information and knowledge about domestic violence, women do not feel that they have their experiences validated, and therefore are critical of the medical interactions which take place. Women who experience domestic violence want their experiences validated in the health interaction. If this does not occur within an holistic/person-led approach then they may resort to activities intended to locate them within a biomedical context. Health practitioners need to be aware, therefore, of how patients perceive their ability to appropriate the sick role and ensure that validation is forthcoming for patients who may subsequently alter their behaviour in order to achieve this appropriation.

2. There was a clear differentiation made between the identification, documentation and treatment of physical and non-physical injuries.

While healthcare professionals are competent at identifying physical injuries, whether they act on this identification or not, and are also capable of recognising psychosomatic manifestations of domestic violence-related injuries, they were uncomfortable and reluctant to acknowledge the significance of self-harm and para-suicidal activity in relation to domestic violence. This resulted, in the most extreme cases, in women self-medicating in order to avoid health interactions where their search for validation went unheard.

3. Healthcare professionals use cultural myths and stereotypes about women who experience domestic violence which perpetuate their professional frustrations relating to the treatment of domestic violence-related injuries.

The frustrations which healthcare professionals experienced were compounded by the explanations they used to account for domestic violence, as well as by the expectations they had about women being in a position to prevent future injuries. This finding clearly challenges the effectiveness of social awareness campaigns (such as Zero Tolerance) and the media generally at targeting professional practice through social responsibilities.

4. The existence of a medical hierarchy undermines the potential of non-medical health professionals to interact positively with women who have domestic violence-related injuries.

This is unfortunate, as it is predominantly non-medical health personnel who are represented in inter-agency initiatives (where health representation does actually exist).