Knowledge about Mandatory Reporting Among Individuals Subjected to Intimate Partner Violence
To what extent do individuals subjected to intimate partner violence understand mandatory reporting of intimate partnre vilence? To what extent are they informed about it when they seek help? These are among the questions posed in a new study examining knowledge about mandatory reporting among intimate partner violence victims.
From top left: Astrid Gravdal Vølstad, Kevin Douglas, Stål Kapstø Bjørkly, Thea Beate Brevik, Christine Nordby, and Solveig Karin Bø Vatnar.
Professionals have an obligation to intervene when there is a risk of severe or repeated intimate partner violence. This can have significant consequences for those subjected to such violence, yet little is known about the extent to which victims are aware of this duty or whether they receive information about it when they seek help.
In this quantitative study, 86 individuals subjected to intimate partner violence were asked to what extent they felt they understood the mandatory reporting law and whether they had been informed about it. They were also presented with a hypothetical case involving a woman subjected to violence and asked related questions. Approximately equal numbers (around 40%) reported that they had and had not received information about the duty to avert, while about 20% stated they had been informed to some extent. Despite most participants having received at least some information, only 18.6% reported that they understood mandatory reporting. Half said they understood it “to some extent,” and 31.4% said they did not understand it. Generally, participants evaluated the hypothetical case in line with the law, but a common misconception was that the likelihood of the duty applying increased because the woman had children.
The study also examined which factors were associated with the different measures of knowledge. Odds of having been informed were higher among individuals recruited from Alternativ til Vold (ATV) and lower among Norwegian citizens with immigrant background. Participants who had been more thoroughly informed about the duty or had personal experience with its application had higher odds of understanding it. The study found no factors consistently associated with responses to the hypothetical case.
The findings indicate that support services are an important source of knowledge for victims of intimate partner violence, but also that the information provided may not be sufficient for victims to gain a clear understanding of the law. This suggests a need for changes in information practices related to mandatory reporting.
Read the article here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10896-025-01042-5
