The face of domestic violence

By Mary Engel

"Domestic violence is believed to be vastly under-reported, and emergency and other physicians have long been urged to be on the alert for patients with unexplained injuries. The right questions can help identify victims -- the majority of them women -- and secure referrals to community service agencies."

"Now doctors have a new clue. Rather than trying to read injured patients' faces for signs of fear or shame, physicians can read their facial injuries."

"Women who had been assaulted by intimate partners generally sustained different patterns of facial injuries than women who were injured in car crashes, falls or assaults by strangers, according to a study published [January 19] in Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery..."

Full article available at http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/01/domestic-violen.ht...