Creevy Kate E, Shaver Stephanie L, Cornell Karen K
Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 95616, USA.
J Vet Med Educ. 2013 Summer;40(2):184-91. doi: 10.3138/jvme.0912-084.
Animal abuse and domestic violence are linked issues, and pet ownership is reported to play a crucial role in the choice to leave an abusive situation. Although veterinarians witness the effects of abuse and violence over the course of their careers, they have limited training regarding these issues. One mechanism for educating veterinary students while providing a service for victims of domestic violence is the creation of partnerships between domestic violence shelters and veterinary schools. These extracurricular programs can provide both care for pets belonging to victims of domestic violence and an educational platform for student participants. The goals of this study were to determine the prevalence and characteristics of domestic violence shelter partnerships (DVSPs) at North American veterinary teaching hospitals and to determine whether the presence of a DVSP was associated with increased awareness among veterinary students regarding animal abuse and domestic violence. Nine of 33 veterinary schools surveyed described a DVSP program. Students at schools with DVSPs associated with their veterinary teaching hospitals were significantly more likely to indicate that their awareness of the link between animal abuse and domestic violence had increased during veterinary school. Most veterinary students reported that they felt poorly prepared to handle domestic violence and animal abuse issues in the workplace. This study indicates that extracurricular DVSPs are a viable means of educating veterinary students regarding domestic violence and animal abuse. A need for improved education on these topics in veterinary schools across North America is identified.
虐待动物与家庭暴力是相互关联的问题，据报道，养宠物在人们决定离开受虐环境中起着关键作用。尽管兽医在其职业生涯中目睹了虐待和暴力的影响，但他们在这些问题上接受的培训有限。在家庭暴力庇护所和兽医学院之间建立合作关系，是一种在为家庭暴力受害者提供服务的同时教育兽医学生的机制。这些课外项目既能为家庭暴力受害者的宠物提供照料，又能为参与项目的学生提供一个教育平台。本研究的目的是确定北美兽医教学医院家庭暴力庇护所合作项目（DVSPs）的普及情况和特点，并确定DVSP的存在是否与兽医学生对动物虐待和家庭暴力的认识提高有关。在接受调查的33所兽医学院中，有9所描述了DVSP项目。与兽医学院教学医院有DVSP合作的学校的学生更有可能表示，在兽医学院学习期间，他们对动物虐待和家庭暴力之间联系的认识有所提高。大多数兽医学生报告说，他们觉得自己在工作场所处理家庭暴力和动物虐待问题的准备不足。这项研究表明，课外DVSP是教育兽医学生了解家庭暴力和动物虐待的一种可行方式。研究发现，北美各地的兽医学院都需要加强对这些主题的教育。
