DOMESTIC ABUSE

Statistics

· Every day four women die in this country as a result of domestic violence. The number of women who have been murdered by their intimate partners is greater than the number of soldiers killed in the Vietnam War.

· Two to four million women of all races and classes are battered each year. At least 170,000 of those violent incidents are serious enough to require hospitalization, emergency room care or a doctor’s attention.

· Violent juvenile offenders are four times more likely to have grown up in homes where they saw violence. Children who have witnessed violence at home are also five times more likely to commit or suffer violence when they become adults.

· Every 15 seconds a woman is battered by her partner.
· An estimated 3 to 4 million women in the U.S. are battered each year by their husbands or partners.

· Approximately 37% of obstetric patients—of every race, class, and educational background—report being physically abused while pregnant.

· Based on an estimate of 2 children in 55% of violent households, at least 3.3 million children in the United States are at risk of witnessing domestic violence each year.

· Reports by battered women show that 85%-95% of the children witness the abuse.

· In 1992, 29% of all female murder victims were slain by their husbands or boyfriends.

· 52% of American women are physically assaulted at least once during their lifetime.

· Approximately 1.9 million women are physically assaulted each year in the U.S. 1.5 million of these assaults are by intimate partners.

· 18% of women are sexually assaulted during their lifetime. 22% of these assaults happen to girls under 12 years of age. 32% of these assaults happen on girls 12 to 17 years old.

· 25% of women and 8% of men say they are raped or physically assaulted by an intimate partner during their lifetime.

· Violence against women is primarily partner violence. 76% of women raped or physically assaulted since age 18 were assaulted by an intimate partner. (This compares to 18% of men.)

· Women are significantly more likely than men are to be injured during an assault. About 1 in 3 women injured during a physical or sexual assault required medical care.

· 8% of women and 2% of men are stalked during their lifetime. Approximately 1 million women are stalked annually in the U.S.

· 20%-30% of adult women are at risk of being abused by their male partners during the course of marriage.

· 28% of female patients attending non-emergency hospital primary care clinics suffered severe physical abuse.

· 23% of all obstetric patients have a history of being battered.

· 30%-50% of women attending hospital emergency rooms are victims of abuse.

· 11%-64% of women in homeless shelters are there to escape abusive men.

· In at least 50% of child abuse cases the mother is also being abused.

· 64% of female victims of intimate partner homicide were physically abused prior to the lethal event.

· 79% of male victims of intimate partner homicide had abused their offenders.

· From 1976 to 1992 the intimate partner homicide rate declines by one-third, with the greatest decline in the number of female-perpetrated incidents. Researchers credit the drop to the availability of domestic violence services and the rising divorce rate. Women have been enabled to leave violent relationships thereby decreasing the likelihood that they will kill their partners in self-defense.

· Each hotline service averts 1.4 married male homicides per year, and each legal advocacy service produces a decrease of 0.7 married male victims.

· 14,761 adult female and 572 adult male domestic violence victims were served by Iowa’s domestic violence projects. 2,543 adult women, 3 adult men, and 2,756 children were sheltered by domestic violence projects.

· Between 20,000 to 40,000 Iowa women suffer abuse in their homes each year.

· Since 1990, intimate partners have killed 83 Iowa women and 10 men.

· 11 children have been murdered along with their mothers. 24 children have witnessed the murder of their mother.

· 33 women were known to have left or been leaving the partner. 6 women were killed while moving their belongings. 2 women were killed in front of a law officer. 3 women were killed in child visitation exchanges.

· Family violence occurs among all levels of society and without regard to age, race, cultural status, education or religion. It may be less evident among the affluent because they can find and afford private physicians, attorneys, counselors, and shelters. Other women turn to more public agencies for help.

· According to the U.S. Department of Justice, about 75% of all spousal attacks occur between people who are separated or divorced. Separation often brings on an increased level of harassment and violence.

· Abuse is a learned behavior, not an uncontrollable reaction.

· Each year more than 1000 women, or about 4 per day, are killed by their partner.
· Over 3,000,000 domestic abuse cases were reported in the United States in 1994.
· In the United States, there are three times more animal shelters than shelters for battered women.
· In 1994, Des Moines Police responded to over 21,000 domestic abuse calls.
· In 1994, Des Moines Police made over 1200 cases on domestic violence.

Are you abused? Does the person you love…

· ”Track” all of your time?

· Constantly accuse you of being unfaithful?

· Discourage your relationships with family and friends?

· Prevent you from working or attending school?

· Criticize your for little things?

· Anger easily when drinking or on drugs?

· Control all finances and force you to account in detail for what you spend?

· Humiliate you in front of others?

· Destroy personal property or sentimental items?

· Hit, punch, slap, kick, or bite you or the children?

· Use or threaten to use a weapon?

· Threaten to hurt you or the children?

· Force you to have sex against your will?

Be prepared in advance to protect yourself and your children if a crisis should arise:

1. Prearrange a safe place to go, such as the home of a friend or relative, or a hotel.
2. Have the following items packed in an accessible place (car, closet, at work or with friends): Clothes; Money, checks, charge cards; important papers such as birth certificates, court orders, immunization records, driver’s license; phone numbers of friends, shelters, counselors.

You have the right to ask the court for the following help on a temporary basis.

1. Keeping your attacker away from you, your home, and your place of work.

2. The right to stay at your home without interference from your attacker.

3. Getting custody of your children and obtaining support for yourself and your minor children if your attacker is legally required to provide such support.

4. Professional counseling.

· You have the right to file criminal charges for threats, assualts, or other related crimes.

· You have the right to seek restitution against your attacker for harm to yourself or your property.

· If you are in need of medical treatment, you have the right to request that the officer present assist you in obtaining transportation to the nearest hospital or otherwise assist you.

· If you believe that protection is needed for your physical safety, you have the right to request that the officer present remain at the scene until you and other affected parties can leave or until safety is otherwise assured.

· You have the right to seek help from the court to seek a protective order with or without the assistance of legal representation. You have the right to seek help from the courts without the payment of court costs if you do not have sufficient funds to pay the costs.

· If you’re being abused by a husband or boyfriend, tell someone what’s going on and plan now for your escape.

· Choose a place to go – a friend or relative who will offer support no matter what, a motel or hotel, a shelter for battered women.

· Try to start an individual savings account. Have statements sent to a trusted relative or friend.

· Know the telephone number of the domestic violence hotline. Contact it for information on resources and legal rights.

· Avoid arguments with the abuser in areas with potential weapons, like the kitchen or garage, and in small spaces without access to an outside door.

· Men and women who follow their parents’ example and use violence to solve conflicts are teaching the same destructive behavior to their children.

· Urge organizations and businesses to raise community awareness by hosting speakers on domestic violence, launching public education campaigns, and raising funds for shelters and hotlines.

· Ask the local newspaper, radio station, or television station to examine the problem and publicize resources in the community through special features and forums.

· Form coalitions or “watchdog” groups to monitor the response of local law enforcement agencies and courts. Offer praise where appropriate and demand reform when necessary.

· Most communities offer resources for victims of family violence. Check your telephone directory or ask a law enforcement agency.