doctors and other medical professionals are now trained to recognize signs of domestic abuse and other violence. of course, many of us never see doctors or other medical professionals. the strib reports on the clever new(ish) cut it out program that trains hair stylists to recognize signs of domestic abuse.

i can’t vouch for its efficacy, but i like the idea of training folks who actually interact with the targets of abuse. for example, i see my talented haircutter jackie about five or ten times per year, while (aside from race-side medical tents and my good friend carl), i haven’t seen an actual m.d. in ten years. i don’t have data on this, but i wouldn’t be surprised if the most vulnerable targets of violence are quite unlikely to see physicians.