New Ethicals Journal: New Zealand's journal of patient management 6(2) 2003 : 11-16

This article aims to inform general practitioners about the dynamics and impact of battering and women's experiences of partner abuse. The author argues that health professionals are in a position to make a real difference to the lives of women who are abused if they recognise and respond to partner violence. The article briefly covers the types of power and control tactics used by abusers, the myths about violence, including the myth that women are as violent as men, the effects on women and children, how women cope with and try to resist the violence, legal protection, and an intervention process for health professionals.