Domestic Violence 2

WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?

Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats, and emotional/psychological abuse. The frequency and severity of domestic violence varies dramatically.

DID YOU KNOW?

• In the United States, an average of 20 people experience intimate partner physical violence every minute. This equates to more than 10 million abuse victims annually.¹
• 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner contact sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking with impacts such as injury, fearfulness, post- traumatic stress disorder, use of victim services, contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, etc.² This is commonly considered “domestic violence.”
• 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. This includes a range of behaviors and in some cases might not be considered “domestic violence.”³
• 1 in 7 women and 1 in 25 men have been injured by an intimate partner.⁴
• 1 in 10 women have been raped by an intimate partner. Data is unavailable on male victims.⁵
• 1 in 7 women and 1 in 18 men have been stalked.  Stalking causes the target to fear she/he/they or someone close to her/him/them will be harmed or killed.⁶
• On a typical day, domestic violence hotlines nationwide receive over 20,000 calls.⁷
• An abuser’s access to a firearm increases the risk of intimate partner femicide by 400%.⁸
• Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime.⁹
• Intimate partner violence is most common against women between the ages of 18–24.¹⁰
• 19% of intimate partner violence involves a weapon.¹¹

WHY IT MATTERS

Domestic violence is prevalent in every community, and affects all people regardless of age, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality. Physical violence is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior as part of a much larger, systematic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence can result in physical injury, psychological trauma, and even death. The devastating consequences of domestic violence can cross generations and last a lifetime.

SEXUAL ASSAULT

• 1 in 5 women and 1 in 59 men in the United States is raped during his/her lifetime.¹²
• 9.4% of women in the United States experience intimate partner sexual assault in their lifetimes.¹³

STALKING

• 19.3 million women and 5.1 million men in the United States have been stalked.¹⁴
• 66.2% of female stalking victims reported stalking by a current or former intimate partner.¹⁵

HOMICIDE

• 1 in 3 female murder victims and 1 in 20 male murder victims are killed by intimate partners.¹⁶
• A study of intimate partner homicides found 20% of victims were family members or friends of the abused partner, neighbors, persons who intervened, law enforcement responders, or bystanders.¹⁷
• 72% of all murder-suicides are perpetrated by intimate partners.¹⁸
• 94% of murder-suicide victims are female.¹⁹

PHYSICAL/MENTAL EFFECTS

• Victims of intimate partner violence are at increased risk of contracting HIV or other STI’s due to forced intercourse and/or prolonged exposure to stress. 20
• Intimate partner victimization is correlated with a higher rate of depression and suicidal behavior.²¹
• Only 34% of people who are injured by intimate partners receive medical care for their injuries.²²

ECONOMIC EFFECTS

• Victims of intimate partner violence lose a total of 8,000,000 million days of paid work each year, the equivalent of 32,000 full-time jobs.²³
• Intimate partner violence is estimated to cost the US economy between $5.8 billion and $12.6 billion annually, up to 0.125% of the national gross domestic product.²⁴
• Between 21-60% of victims of intimate partner violence lose their jobs due to reasons stemming from the abuse.²⁵
• Between 2003 and 2008, 142 women were murdered in their workplace by former or current intimate partners. This amounts to 22% of workplace homicides among women.²⁶