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 are physically abused by intimate partners every minute. This equates to more than 10 million abuse victims annually
• 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been physically abused by an intimate partner
• 1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men have been severely physically abused by an intimate partner
• 1 in 7 women and 1 in 18 men have been stalked. Stalking causes the target to fear she/he or someone close to her/him will be harmed or killed
• On a typical day, domestic violence hotlines nationwide receive approximately 20,800 calls
• The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%
• Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime
• Intimate partner violence is most common among women between the ages of 18-24
• 19% of intimate partner violence involves a weapon

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
• 9.4% of women in the United States have been raped by an intimate partner

STALKING

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

HOMICIDE

• 1 in 3 female murder victims and 1 in 20 male murder victims are killed by intimate partners
• 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 by standers
• 72% of all murder-suicides are perpetrated by intimate partners
• 94% of murder-suicide victims are female

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
• Intimate partner victimization is correlated with a higher rate of depression and suicidal behavior
• Only 34% of people who are injured by intimate partners receive medical care for their injuries

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
• 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
• Between 21-60% of victims of intimate partner violence lose their jobs due to reasons stemming from the abuse
• 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

Source: NCADV. (2015). Domestic violence national statistics.

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