karla kwist
359 posts
May 05, 2008
10:46 PM
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Many of the statistics you will read below are taken from The Domestic Violence Sourcebook by Dawn Bradley Berry, J.D.)
The statistics on domestic violence are staggering. Some experts believe the incidence of DV is increasing, while others believe there has been a slight decrease in domestic violence, yet more women are reporting abuse. Take some time to digest these statistics:
• Each year, literally millions of women are wounded, crippled, disfigured, traumatized, maimed, or are killed by their partners.
• As if April 1994, Donna Shalala, Health and Human Services secretary, has frequently stated, “Domestic violence is an unacknowledged epidemic in our society.” There are 4 million reported instances of domestic violence ever year in the US.
• Each year, at least 1,500 women are killed by a current or former husband or boyfriend. FBI stats indicate 4 women are murdered by a male partner. Over 30% (some say 50%) of all murders of women in America are committed by intimate partners.
• 90% of women killed by a partner show that the victims had reported at least one prior incident of abuse. The average number of calls to a scene before a domestic homicide is eight.
• Up to 6 million women are believed to be beaten in their homes each year. 4 million are reported. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence estimates that up to 90% if battered women NEVER report their abuse.
• Women who have divorced or separated from their abusers report being battered 14 times as often as those still living with their partners. It is estimated that 73% of emergency room visits, and up to 75% of calls to the police for DV incidents occur AFTER separation.
• Homicide is the second leading cause of death for women ages 15 to 24.
• Battering contributes to ¼ of all suicide attempts by women generally and half of all suicide attempts by black women.
• 1 million women a year visit physicians and hospital emergency rooms for treatment of injuries caused by beating. According to the National Center for Disease Control, more women are treated in emergency rooms for battering injuries than for muggings, rapes, and traffic accidents COMBINED.
• Medical expenses for treating victims of DV total at least $3 BILLION to $5 BILLION annually.
• According to a 1995 FBI survey, a woman is battered in the US ever 7 seconds.
• Between 25 and 50% of ALL women in the US will be physically abused by a partner at least once in their lives.
• Pregnant women are especially at risk. President of the AMA estimates that more than 1/3 of pregnant women are abused. 25% of all women battered in America are abused while pregnant.
• In one study, all sons over 14 attempted to protect their mothers against abuse. 62% were injured in the process.
• More than 3 million children directly witness acts of domestic abuse each year. Children whose mothers are abused are 6 times more likely to attempt suicide and 50% more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol.
• Between 70 and 87% of children in homes where their mother is beaten witness the violence. Virtually all are aware of what goes on, even if they do not see the abuse taking place.
• An estimated 90% of men and 80% of women currently in prison were abused at some point in their lives.
• In 1970 there was no such thing as a shelter for battered women. Today there are over 2,000 service programs and over 1,300 shelters.
In the words of Senator Joseph Biden, “If the leading newspapers were to announce tomorrow a new disease that, over the past year, had afflicted four million citizens, few would fail to appreciate the seriousness of the illness. Yet, when it comes to the 4 million women victimized by violence, the alarms ring softly.”
The Power and Control wheel is a way of looking at the behaviors abusers use to get and keep control in their relationships. Battering is a choice. It is used to gain power and control over another person. Physical abuse is only one part of a system of abusive behaviors.
Compiled by Dr. Shanyn Asta Psy.D
Last Edited on 5-May-2008 10:50 PM
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