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If you or someone you know needs
help, please call the National Domestic
Violence Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE. |
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Research Says… Women are more
likely than men to be victims of domestic violence.
The American Psychological Association reported in 1996 that nearly one in every three
women experiences at least one physical assault by a partner during adulthood. (American
Psychological Association, Report of the American Psychological Association
Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family, 1996)
90-95% of domestic violence victims are women. 70% of intimate homicide victims are
female. (Bureau of Justice Statistics Selected Findings: Violence Between Intimates, U.S.
Department of Justice, November 1994)
- One out of every four American women (26%) report that they have been physically abused
by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives. 30% of Americans say they know a
woman who has been physically abused by her husband or boyfriend in the past year.
(Lieberman Research Inc., Tracking Survey conducted for the Advertising Council and the
Family Violence Prevention Fund, July-October, 1996)
From 1992 to 1996, victimization by an intimate accounted for about 21% of the violence
experienced by females. It accounted for about 2% of the violent crime sustained by males.
In 1996, approximately 1,800 murders were attributed to intimates; nearly three out of
four of these had a female victim. (U.S. Department of Justice, Violence by Intimates:
Analysis of Data on Crimes by Current or Former Spouses, Boyfriends, and Girlfriends,
March 1998)
Three in four women (76%) who reported they had been raped and/or physically assaulted
since age 18 said that a current or former husband, cohabiting partner or date committed
the assault. Just 18% of the male adult victims of rape and/or assault said they were
attacked by an intimate partner. (U.S. Department of Justice, Prevalence, Incidence,
and Consequences of Violence Against Women: Findings from the National Violence Against
Women Survey, November 1998)
Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of injury and death among
American women.
- More women are admitted to emergency rooms for domestic violence related injuries than
are admitted for rape, muggings, and car accidents combined. (C. Everett Koop, "The
Surgeon General’s Report")
- 37% of women who sought treatment in emergency rooms for violence-related injuries in
1994 were injured by a current or former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend. (U.S. Department
of Justice, Violence-Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments, August
1997)
Female victims of violence are 2.5 times more likely to be injured when the violence is
committed by an intimate than when committed by a stranger. (Bureau of Justice Statistics
Special Report: Violence Against Women: Estimates from the Redesigned Survey, August 1995)
- Common types of injuries related to domestic violence include contusions, abrasions and
minor lacerations, as well as fractures or sprains. These may be to the head, neck, chest,
breasts, abdomen, wrists, arms and legs or at multiple sites. The stress of living in an
on-going abusive relationship may result in chronic pain, anxiety, depression, headaches,
abdominal or gastrointestinal complaints, dizziness, atypical chest pain, and sleep and
appetite disturbances. (American Medical Association)
- In Texas, 106 women were killed by their intimate male partners in 1998. Of all of the
women killed in Texas in 1996, 38% were murdered by their intimate male partners. This is
10% higher than the national average reported by the FBI. (Texas Department of Public
Safety)
- Among all female murder victims in 1995, 26% were known to have been slain by husbands
or boyfriends. Only 3% of the male victims were known to have been slain by wives or
girlfriends. (Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the United States 1995: Uniform
Crime Reports)
Additional Resources
For more information on domestic violence, contact
the community education department to request an information packet or check out
these sites:
Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs)
The Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence (www.cpsdv.org)
Family Violence Prevention Fund (link to www.fvpf.org)
Institute for Law and Justice (www.ilj.org/dv/index.htm)
Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse (www.mincava.umn.edu)
National Domestic Violence Hotline (www.ndvh.org)
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (www.ncadv.org)
Safety Net (www.cybergrrl.com/planet/dv)
Stop Family Violence (www.famvi.com)
Violence Against Women Grants Office- U.S. Department of Justice (www.usdoj.gov/vawo/)
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