Protecting women and children from physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.

Domestic violence is a serious public health problem. The "epidemic" is becoming too obvious to hide, too widespread to deny, and too much of a health hazard to ignore. The victims are children, women, the elderly, and the society as a whole. Family members, government, educational and penal agencies, civic and medical societies, physicians, and citizens at large are all involved in domestic violence prevention. By having a high index of suspicion, physicians are in an ideal position to prevent, assess, identify, and treat victims of domestic violence and its associated problems.