Framing Domestic Violence: Medical Knowledge, Child Abuse and Physical Violence in Socialist Czechoslovakia (1950s–1980s)

This article examines the role of medical knowledge in discussions about physical violence in the family in socialist Czechoslovakia. Drawing on sources such as medical journals, books and archival records, the article investigates how health professionals addressed family violence, and how their understanding of the issue evolved throughout the state socialist regime. It highlights that family violence was not the primary focus of Czechoslovak health professionals, but rather appeared in their texts as a secondary concern alongside their primary interests. Nevertheless, shifts in the framing of domestic violence, particularly with regard to violence against children, can be observed.