Background: State laws mandating health care personnel to contact police when treating patients injured as a result of domestic violence are controversial. Attitudes toward these laws have been studied in select groups, but never in a large population-based sample.
Methods: We measured support for mandatory reporting (MR) among 845 women in 11 cities who participated in a telephone survey assessing risk factors for intimate partner violence. Abused women were oversampled to create equal groups (427 abused and 418 non-abused); results are presented stratified by abuse status or weighted based on prevalence of abuse among women who were screened.
Results: The estimated prevalence of physical violence or threat of physical violence from an intimate partner during the past two years was 11.7%; 72% (95% CI = 69%-75%) of women supported MR. Abused women were significantly less likely to support MR compared to non-abused women (59% versus 73%, p < 0.01). Reasons that endorsed support included: victims would find it easier to get help (81%) and would like health care personnel to call the police (68%). Reasons that endorsed opposition included: victims would be less likely to disclose abuse (77%), would resent someone else having control (61%), and reporting would increase the risk of perpetrator retaliation (44%).
Conclusions: Most women support mandatory reporting by health care personnel. However, abused women were significantly less supportive than those not abused.