Violence against women, dedicated paths in 77% emergency rooms

More than three out of four emergency rooms in Italy have activated dedicated paths for women victims of violence. This is one of the data emerging from a survey carried out by the Ministry of Health and presented in view of the International Day against Violence against Women on 25 November.

The survey assessed the degree of implementation of the Guidelines which, since 2017, provide for the establishment of specific paths for women who turn to the emergency room after having suffered violence. The protected path guarantees care, safety and orientation to anti-violence services for themselves and their minor children.

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Research

According to the research, to which approximately 80% of Italian emergency rooms responded, 77% of the facilities have in use the implementation protocols of the path for women who suffer violence. The share of those who ensure diversified procedures and protected discharge methods in the case of high risk assessment amounts to 83%, while 59% of the structures ensure the presence of a dedicated multidisciplinary team.

Minor children

Furthermore, 94% of the structures guarantee, in the presence of minor children, the possibility that they can stay with their mother and be involved in the same path as her. Almost all of them inform the woman of the presence of anti-violence centers in the area and the possibility of filing a complaint, even by contacting the police directly.

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Criticalities

However, there is no shortage of critical issues: only 44% of the structures ensure the support of linguistic-cultural mediators face to face in the emergency room, even if the share of those who ensure it by telephone rises to 79%. 38% of the structures do not have a system for accompanying women and any children to an external protected structure; 72% do not ensure active social care 24 hours a day, while 61% do not provide support figures for women with disabilities.