Startling Statistics

Domestic Violence

·        In the United States, a woman is physically abused every 9 seconds. 

·        In 2004, 1,247 women and 440 men were killed by an intimate partner.  That’s more than 4 people a day!

·        In 2004, 1,500 children died as a result of child abuse and neglect.  That’s more than 4 children a day!

·        CA Stat: In 2003, California 911 operators received 194,288 calls for DV.

·        What’s the impact locally?

o      See below for county and city statistics for 2003.

o      “Weapon” is defined as personal weapons (body, fists, etc.), firearms, knives, etc.  used in severe physical assaults.

Child Abuse

·        7 out of 10 persons who enter into Domestic Violence Shelters are children (National Victim Assistance Academy, 2000)

·        At least 1/2 of all battering husbands also batter their children.  (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1999)

·        During pregnancy, 25% to 45% of women are physically abused resulting in birth defects, low birth weight babies, injury to fetus, and miscarriages.  (U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Statistics)

Teen Dating Violence

·        26% of girls in grades 9-12 have been the victim of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or date-forced sex. (The Commonwealth Fund Survey for the Health of Adolescent Girls, 1997)

·        One third of all high school and college students will have been in an abusive relationship by the time they graduate. (Barrie Levy, "In Love and In Danger." Seattle, WA, Seal Press, 1993)

The Generational Cycle of Violence

·        A child's exposure to the father abusing the mother is the strongest risk factor of transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next. (Report of the American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family, APA, 1996)

·        Violent juvenile delinquents are four times more likely than other youths to come from homes in which their fathers beat their mothers. (Women's Action Coalition)

·        63% of boys, 11 to 20 years old, who commit homicide, kill a man who is abusing their mother. (Uniform Crime Reports, FBI, 1994)

Economic Impact of Domestic Violence

·        Companies lose $31 billion dollars every year due to domestic violence (factoring in loss in productivity and sick time). (Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles, 1997)

·        Between 55% and 65% of welfare recipients report that they have been physically abused by an intimate partner at some point in their lives. (U.S. General Accounting Office Report to Congressional Committees, November 1998)

·        44% to 60% of unemployed domestic violence victims report that they have been reprimanded at work for behaviors related to the abuse, such as being late to work.  24% to 52% report having lost their jobs because of the abuse. (U.S. General Accounting Office Report to Congressional Committees, November 1998)

·        In 1994, 37% of emergency room visits were a result of domestic violence related injuries. (U.S. Dept. of Justice Bureau of Statistics, 2004)

·        In the United States, approximately 324,000 pregnant women are physically abused by their intimate partner every year. (RAINN, 2004)

·        Annually, the costs of domestic violence exceed $5.8 billion, including $4.1 billion in direct health care expenses.  (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2004)

Click the Dove for upcoming events!

Click the Newsletter to read our latest issue.