Angelina Jolie Advocates for Nonbiased Forensic Technology for Survivors of Domestic Violence
NurseJournal.org is committed to delivering content that is objective and actionable. To that end, we have built a network of industry professionals across higher education to review our content and ensure we are providing the most helpful information to our readers.
Drawing on their firsthand industry expertise, our Integrity Network members serve as an additional step in our editing process, helping us confirm our content is accurate and up to date. These contributors:
- Suggest changes to inaccurate or misleading information.
- Provide specific, corrective feedback.
- Identify critical information that writers may have missed.
Integrity Network members typically work full time in their industry profession and review content for NurseJournal.org as a side project. All Integrity Network members are paid members of the Red Ventures Education Integrity Network.
Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images- Current bruise detection methods are often ineffective on darker-toned skin and very recent or older bruises.
- Bruise detection is vital to forensic confirmation of domestic violence or other physical abuse.
- Angelina Jolie wrote an editorial advocating for the use of nonbiased technology to provide more accurate results and support domestic violence survivors.
Bruising on darker skin tones can be difficult to detect under typical white light. Nurse researcher Katherine Scafide, Ph.D., RN, was profoundly frustrated during her work when a domestic violence survivor reported being injured, but there was no way to physically prove it. This situation often occurred among patients with darker skin, introducing even more healthcare and legal inequity. She was determined to find a way to change this.
We cover actor and activist Angelina Jolie’s involvement, Scafide’s research, and how they can help forensic nurses perform their work and produce results less affected by existing racial and color-based bias. Explore more in this development and how you can use unbiased forensic technology and promote its use.
Angelina Jolie Addresses Health Inequities in Survivors of Domestic Violence
In an op-ed in the American Journal of Nursing, Jolie describes the inadequacies of bruise detection under white light. Specifically, white light detection is inadequate in approximately 48 hours before bruising is visible, and after it has faded. Furthermore, white light is ineffective for revealing bruises on darker skin tones, which amplifies bias in attempts to document domestic violence.
Scafide, a forensic nurse, performed extensive research on technological solutions to address these inadequacies and the introduction of bias. She found that the same alternate light source (ALS) technology that is used to detect bloodstains invisible to the naked eye can also detect bruising in all skin types and over a longer period. During her research, Scafide became known as “the Paintball Lady” because she found that paintball players were ideal subjects for her studies.
The Role Alternate Light Sources Can Play in Bruise Detection
Bruising is a common indicator of domestic violence. However, inadequate documentation of bruising creates miscarriages of justice, especially among those with darker skin. However, forensic nurses can help improve bruise detection and reduce bias.
Using this type of non-biased forensic technology can help domestic violence survivors by:
- Documenting the abuse in more cases
- Giving domestic violence survivors a longer window of time in which to report abuse
- Limiting the sense of helplessness that domestic violence survivors can feel when they are unable to document abuse
It will take time for the medical field to adopt ALS and other nonbiased forensic technology and establish universal guidelines for practice and education. However, there are things that you can do in the meantime:
- Nurse educators can promote the use of nonbiased forensic technology like ALS in nursing education at all levels.
- Nursing boards, especially forensic nursing boards, can ensure that certification programs and exams cover the use of ALS and similar unbiased tools.
- Forensic nurses can adopt these tools as soon as possible and share information about their benefits.
- Any nurse who treats patients who are domestic violence survivors can continue to provide support, encouragement, and culturally competent care.
All nurses can take advantage of Jolie’s star power by sharing her op-ed, Scafide’s research as described for the layperson or for industry professionals, Scafide’s video or podcast about bruise detection, and information about health inequities and how they can be addressed.
Page last reviewed on July 25, 2023
You might be interested in
How to Navigate Domestic Violence as a Nurse
In many states, nurses are mandatory reporters for domestic violence. Learn the dos and don’ts of working with survivors to help them on their path to healing.
Meet a Forensic Nurse
The emerging field of forensic nursing offers opportunities to work at the intersection of medicine, law, and criminal justice. Read on for details about this challenging and rewarding career.
Advocating for Patients of Color as a Labor and Delivery Nurse
Women of color are dying at alarming rates in childbirth and even up to a year after. Find out the challenges facing pregnant patients of color and how labor and delivery nurses can help advocate for them.