Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is a serious problem that affects millions of people. Very often in the news you hear about someone who was killed in a domestic dispute.

Here are some facts you may not be aware of:

- One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. (1)
- An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. (2)
- 85% of domestic violence victims are women. (3)
- Historically, females have been most often victimized by someone they knew. (4)
- Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence. (5)
- Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police. (6)

1 Tjaden, Patricia & Thoennes, Nancy. National Institute of Justice and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, “Extent, Nature and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey,” (2000).
2 Costs of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States. 2003. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Centers for Injury Prevention and Control. Atlanta, GA.
3 Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief, Intimate Partner Violence, 1993-2001, February 2003.
4 U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Criminal Victimization, 2005,” September 2006.
5 U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Intimate Partner Violence in the United States,” December 2006.
6 Frieze, I.H., Browne, A. (1989) Violence in Marriage. In L.E. Ohlin & M. H. Tonry (eds.) Family Violence. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

The American Bar Association has an excellent resource, Domestic Violence Safety Plan, that has some helpful tips about things to do to keep yourself and your kids safe if you are the victim of domestic violence. If you know someone who is dealing with domestic violence, you might want to share this resource with them.

If you do know a victim of violence, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has an excellent pamphlet called Supporting the Survivor