Victims – Much more than a statistic
Think you are not affected by domestic violence? No assault or battery going on in your home? Read on and then tell me if you still think you are not impacted by domestic/intimate partner violence.
Statistic: In 70-80% of intimate partner homicides, no matter which partner was killed, the man physically abused the woman before the murder.
Domestic Violence (DV) and/or Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) are pandemic in America at present. Countless individuals and organizations try desperately to help each victim they possibly can, but with government economic cutbacks and the rate of unemployment as high as it is causing added stress in households, the numbers seem to only be rising.
THANKS TO THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL (CDC) AND NATIONAL COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (NCADV) FOR THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
Several factors can increase the risk that someone will hurt his or her partner. However, having these risk factors does not always mean that IPV will occur.
Risk factors for perpetration (hurting a partner):
• Being violent or aggressive in the past
• Seeing or being a victim of violence as a child
• Using drugs or alcohol, especially drinking heavily
• Not having a job or other life events that cause stress
Note: These are just some risk factors. To learn more, go to www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention.
HOMICIDE AND INJURY
Almost one-third of female homicide victims that are reported in police records are killed by an intimate partner.
In 70-80% of intimate partner homicides, no matter which partner was killed, the man physically abused the woman before the murder.
Less than one-fifth of victims reporting an injury from intimate partner violence sought medical treatment following the injury.
Intimate partner violence results in more than 18.5 million mental health care visits each year.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $5.8 billion each year, $4.1 billion of which is for direct medical and mental health services.
Victims of intimate partner violence lost almost 8 million days of paid work because of the violence perpetrated against them by current or former husbands, boyfriends and dates. This loss is the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs and almost 5.6 million days of household productivity as a result of violence.
There are 16,800 homicides and 2.2 million (medically treated) injuries due to intimate partner violence annually, which costs $37 billion.
National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), 1-800-787-3224 TTY, or www.ndvh.org
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence www.ncadv.org
National Sexual Violence Resource Center www.nsvrc.org
Family Violence Prevention Fund www.endabuse.org
I’M CURIOUS─NOW DO WE HAVE ANYBODY’S ATTENTION? IF YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE NOT DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BECAUSE IT DOESN’T OCCUR IN YOUR OWN HOME, DID THIS CHANGE YOUR MIND?