Domestic violence and sexual assault are pervasive and life-threatening crimes affecting millions of individuals across our nation regardless of age, economic status, race, religion or education. Domestic violence and sexual assault not only severely impact victims but our entire communities and are linked to many other social ills.
- Nearly one in every four women are beaten or raped by a partner during adulthood.
- 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape.
- Three women are killed by a current or former intimate partner each day in America, on average.
- Over 22 percent of women and 7.4 percent of men surveyed, reported being physically assaulted by a current or former partner in their lifetime.
- Approximately 2.3 million people each year in the United States are raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend. Women who were physically assaulted by an intimate partner averaged 6.9 physical assaults per year by the same partner.
- Approximately 37% of women seeking injury-related treatment in hospital emergency rooms were there because of injuries inflicted by a current or former spouse/partner.
- Women are at an increased risk of harm shortly after separation from an abusive partner.
Children and Youth:
- Children are particularly vulnerable as both victims and witnesses to domestic violence.
- Approximately 15.5 million children are exposed to domestic violence every year.
- Men exposed to physical abuse, sexual abuse, and adult domestic violence as children were almost 4 times more likely than other men to have perpetrated domestic violence as adults, according to a large study.
- Incest accounts for half of all sexual abuse cases.
- Children that are exposed to violence are more likely to attempt suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away from home, engage in teenage prostitution, and commit sexual assault crimes.
- Girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence.
Did you know?
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Comments (37)
Word.
These are all disturbing facts but one thing that bothers me is when a woman is abused but chooses to stay with their partner.
I've never been physically abusive to anyone, let alone my girls. However, I have seen abuse first hand. What I know is that before tragedies like murder or rape occur, there are patterns of behavior exhibited by those brutal enough to carry out the above crimes that suggest their behavior will escalate to more violent heights. It doesn't start with murder or rape; it ends with murder and rape. But those people who murder or rape their partners do things beforehand to suggest that they're capable of such atrocities. It's at that point that many women should, but don't leave their partners.
If those women just left the men that exhibited behavior suggestive of potential future violence, the statistics that you list would not be as drastic as they are.
I think those who stay with their abusive partners when kids are in the picture should get just as much prison time as the abusers.
I like this post.
I wish ALL forms of domestic violence are addressed. People overlook domestic violence towards men & in same sex relationships. It's there but 2 reasons I think people dont know is because 1: it's underreported & 2: people ignore it.
@a12906@xanga - I see what you're getting at & I hope you dont think I'm trying to start a fight because I'm totally not but I respectfully disagree. We never know what goes on in violent relationships. Most of the time the abuser alienates the victim from family & friends & controls all the money & makes them feel like there's no way out. While some make it out, too many dont & we need to get the message out there that there are good people out there who want to help instead of condeming the people we assume "dont want to leave". I've heard stories were the abuser uses the children as leverage to keep the victim with them & if it's a choice between staying to protect the kids or leave to get help, they'll choose staying.
@xerxes2044 - You have factor in the psychological damage that happens when people are abused. It's not easy to just leave an abusive relationship when the victim a lot of times feels the need to stay due to feelings of worthlessness or dependency many times created by the abusers themselves to ensure the victim doesn't leave.
@salvatruca_stalking_havok13@xanga - you're absolutely right. what you said is a sad and twisted reality. theres probably some sort of similarity with that and Stockholm Syndrome.
but as i said, shitty partners start small and then usually escalate their behavior. the key is to leave at the first sign of trouble, and to have a good screening process before you get heavily involved in the first place.
IT'S SAD HOW THIS IS PART OF SOCIETY... I KNOW HOW THESE THINGS HAPPEN BUT I WANNA KNOW WHAT GOES THROUGH THAT PERSON'S HEAD WHO IS COMMITTING THIS CRIME... IT'S CRAZY!
@Shinbi_Belldandy@xanga - if the victim has actually been brainwashed into believing they won't make it down the street before being killed by some random stranger, whereas they are supposedly safer w/the abuser, maybe. otherwise, no.
Wow. :(
Word x 2
thats so interesting... and sad. >.<
I knew all of these things. I'm the white ribbon wearing boyfriend.
Great post.
@xerxes2044 - Actually, it's the very definition of Stockholm Syndrome. The same happens with children in kidnapping cases.
http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-life/bigger-picture/article.aspx?cp-documentid=20968901&page=0
Don't forget men, too.
I'm not much for politics or religion but in the spirit of Greek philosophy and Hindu ideals we are in an interesting time period way out of Plato's fourth cycle, or like the Hindu Kali Yuga. Interesting to me is the fact that we can change this.
@xerxes2044 - Also remember that a lot of abusive partners will threaten to kill themselves if you leave...that's what happened to me. They will do whatever they can to destroy your self esteem until you have nothing left, so you don't think you deserve any better....its easy for someone to say "I would never let that happen to me" but until it DOES happen to you you won't understand how hard it is to get out of a situation like that.
@xerxes2044 - It is interesting that this post would be written at this particular time. I am a graduate student studying clinical psychology, and we recently had a forensic psychologist do a guest lecture on domestic violence. To be fair to you--yes, it needs to be noted that these women have a hard time getting out of these relationships. And yes, it is highly frustrating to therapists that come in contact with them (assuming they are in a relationship where they can actually get out of the house, and away from controlling behavior of a partner who likely has anti-social personality disorder). However, one thing she did note that I found interesting was that most of these women don't always recognize that they're being abused, "Oh, he only hit me that one time," or "I didn't know that being called a 'bitch/cunt/lardass/[enter insult here]' is abusive." Usually after they fill out the Abusive Behavior Checklist, they are shocked.
The other problem they run into is that some of them know they need to leave, but are afraid to do so because they fear for their lives. Some of these perpetrators have a ridiculous amount of control over their significant others (e.g. finances, following them, calling them twice an hour, etc.) And I think that factors into it as well.
The other thing that is good to be aware of is that the public has a tendency to hold the victim (whether male or female) more accountable for the abuse than the abuser (e.g. "It's not that bad, you're just being a wuss about it," "Boys will be boys," "You're just not a good enough spouse, or else this wouldn't be happening," etc.) It is hard to seek out help and take action when one believes that it's their fault, and truthfully, it is not the victims responsibility to change himself/herself, or to change the abuser.
@Coke0@xanga - yeah thats why a good and thorough screening process is essential before getting into a relationship; i found that out the hard way. granted some things you won't find out until you're really invested in a relationship, but im pretty willing to bet that a significant amount of people who are in abusive relationships started dating fairly quickly without putting in the time to reeeeally get to know each other.
Very sad statistics :(
this is so depressing T_T
one of my close friends was raped 2 years by an ex-boyfriend who was stalking her but she refused to report it no matter how much we begged her to...she was really worried about the stigma that would be attached to her as a result : / it's really hard to help people affected by domestic violence even when you want to!!
I can't stand when people say the people being abused are to be blamed. I hateeeee "victim blaming". End of story.
I work at a domestic violence agency and these victims are in a very tough position. There are many many reasons why they don't leave.
And the abusers tend to be very very good manipulators. They can get the judge on their side in court, compared to the weak, belittled victim who has no self-confidence and cannot speak persuasively. It's painful.
this breaks my heart :(