Unsettling Common Sense Assumptions about Intimate Partner Violence in the NICU

Abstract

NICU clinicians strive to provide family-centered care and often encounter complex and ethical challenges. Emerging evidence suggests that NICU clinicians likely interact with families experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). However, little research and training exists to guide NICU clinicians in their thinking and practice in the midst of IPV. In this review, we use a structural violence framework to engage in a critical analysis of commonly held assumptions about IPV. These assumptions include an overreliance on binaries including male-female and offender-victim, the belief that people need to be rescued, prioritization of physical safety, and the notion that mandatory reporting helps families who experience violence. By reexamining these assumptions, this review guides NICU clinicians to consider alternatives to carceral and punitive responses to IPV, such as transformative justice and reflexive engagement.