RCASA Plans Workshop on Battered Women

by Dan Sheridan

Rush Reporter Vol 5, No. 5, March 10, 1982

Developing direct services within the medical center complex for battered women will be the focus of an all day workshop on March 13th, in room 317 Schweppe-Sprague.

The 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. workshop, entitled “Battered Women: Developing a Multi-disciplinary Approach to a Complex Medico-Social Issue” is sponsored by Rush Coalition Against Spouse Abuse (RCASA). All interested people are invited. Admission is free; however, an RSVP is required. Call x5830 to confirm your reservation. Coffee and donuts will be provided.

RCASA was formed over a year ago and its members have provided information in services and referrals to numerous departments in the Medical Center. Its members also recently compiled over 150 articles for reserve use in the library. The desk or reference librarian can direct you to the special file.

The magnitude of domestic violence is just now being recognized. Each year hundreds of thousands of children and elderly people are abused, beaten and neglected. Thousands of men are abused annually, while the number of women battered each year approaches 4 million.

According to a 1979 study published in a leading physicians journal, approximately one of every four women in hospital emergency rooms with trauma are victims of domestic abuse. The FBI estimates that wife beating is the most unreported crime in the nation. It is also one of the most unrecognized and undiagnosed problems that confronts health care professionals. Battered women often turn to health care professionals for help. Historically that help has been palliative at best.

The trend has been slowly changing. More help is becoming available. Saturday’s workshop will hopefully accelerate that change.