Domestic Violence Month

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Posted on by JoAnne Geigner in Awareness Month, Blog Posts

*TRIGGER WARNING

October is a month of bringing awareness to many issues and topics.  October happens to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month, as well as LGBT History Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

National Domestic Violence Awareness Month is represented by purple ribbons as a reminder to break the silence on the topic and speak up about the issue of domestic violence.  The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence initiated the month of awareness in 1981 as a way to connect advocates of survivors across the country.  It wasn’t until 1994 that the Violence Against Women Act was passed

Domestic Violence, also referred to as Intimate Partner Violence, is an important topic to discuss as the consequences of this type of interpersonal violence impacts not only the individuals within the relationship and/or family, but also employers and the safety of the work environment for others, schools and the safety of other children, and service providers, such as therapists, medical staff, and law enforcement.  Below is a brief video created by the CDC explaining Intimate Partner Violence.

  The Clothesline Project

In 1990, a member of the Cape Cod’s Women’s Defense Agenda created the Clothesline Project in Hyannis, Massachusetts.  This project came about after learning that at the time of 58,000 soldiers had been killed in the Vietnam War, there were 51,000 men killed during the same time frame by the men who said they loved them.  After beginning with only 31 shirts, this project has evolved into a national event in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in which survivors and those who have lost someone to domestic violence can make shirts to hang on a public clothesline to share their stories.  Each shirt color represents a survivor of a different type of abuse, ranging in color spectrum from white to grey with all of the other colors of the rainbow in between, including black. 

Domestic Violence thrives in silence statistics

Looking at statistics, we can see just how much of an impact domestic violence has on everyone involved.

Statistics from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence website:

  • On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men.1
  • 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner contact sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking with impacts such as injury, fearfulness, post-traumatic stress disorder, use of victim services, contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, etc.2
    • 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. This includes a range of behaviors (e.g. slapping, shoving, pushing) and in some cases might not be considered “domestic violence.” 1
    • 1 in 7 women and 1 in 25 men have been injured by an intimate partner.1
    • 1 in 10 women have been raped by an intimate partner. Data is unavailable on male victims.1 
  • 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence (e.g. beating, burning, strangling) by an intimate partner in their lifetime.1
  • 1 in 7 women and 1 in 18 men have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime to the point in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.1
  • On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide.9
  • The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%.10
  • Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime.2
  • Women between the ages of 18-24 are most commonly abused by an intimate partner.2
  • 19% of domestic violence involves a weapon.2
  • Domestic victimization is correlated with a higher rate of depression and suicidal behavior.2
  • Only 34% of people who are injured by intimate partners receive medical care for their injuries.2

RAPE

  • 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the United States has been raped in their lifetime.1
  • Almost half of female (46.7%) and male (44.9%) victims of rape in the United States were raped by an acquaintance. Of these, 45.4% of female rape victims and 29% of male rape victims were raped by an intimate partner.11

STALKING

  • 19.3 million women and 5.1 million men in the United States have been stalked in their lifetime.1 60.8% of female stalking victims and 43.5% men reported being stalked by a current or former intimate partner.11

HOMICIDE

  • A study of intimate partner homicides found that 20% of victims were not the intimate partners themselves, but family members, friends, neighbors, persons who intervened, law enforcement responders, or bystanders.3
  • 72% of all murder-suicides involve an intimate partner; 94% of the victims of these murder suicides are female.8

CHILDREN AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

  • 1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90% of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence.5

ECONOMIC IMPACT

  • Victims of intimate partner violence lose a total of 8.0 million days of paid work each year.6
  • The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $8.3 billion per year.6
  • Between 21-60% of victims of intimate partner violence lose their jobs due to reasons stemming from the abuse.6
  • Between 2003 and 2008, 142 women were murdered in their workplace by their abuser, 78% of women killed in the workplace during this timeframe.4

PHYSICAL/MENTAL IMPACT

  • Women abused by their intimate partners are more vulnerable to contracting HIV or other STI’s due to forced intercourse or prolonged exposure to stress.7
  • Studies suggest that there is a relationship between intimate partner violence and depression and suicidal behavior.7
  • Physical, mental, and sexual and reproductive health effects have been linked with intimate partner violence including adolescent pregnancy, unintended pregnancy in general, miscarriage, stillbirth, intrauterine hemorrhage, nutritional deficiency, abdominal pain and other gastrointestinal problems, neurological disorders, chronic pain, disability, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Victims of domestic violence are also at higher risk for developing addictions to alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.7

Statistics from the National Domestic Violence Hotline Website:

CHILDREN

A child witnessed violence in 22% (nearly 1 in 4) of intimate partner violence cases filed in state courts. [i]
30 to 60% of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abuse children in the household. [ii]
There is a common link between domestic violence and child abuse. Among victims of child abuse, 40% report domestic violence in the home (from a WORLD REPORT). [iii]
One study in North America found that children who were exposed to violence in the home were 15 times more likely to be physically and/or sexually assaulted than the national average. [iv]
The U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect suggests that domestic violence may be the single major precursor to child abuse and neglect fatalities in this country. [v]

[i] http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/2009/BJS10007.htm
[ii] https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/213503.pdf
[iii-v] http://www.unicef.org/protection/files/BehindClosedDoors.pdf

TEENS

In a nationwide survey, 9.4% of high school students report being hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend or girlfriend in the 12 months prior to the survey. [i]
About 1 in 5 women and nearly 1 in 7 men who ever experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner, first experienced some form of partner violence between 11 and 17 years of age. [ii]
More than a quarter of male victims of completed rape (28%) were first raped when they were 10 years old or younger (by any perpetrator). [iii]
About 35% of women who were raped as minors also were raped as adults compared to 14% of women without an early rape history. [iv]
Most female victims of completed rape (79.6%) experienced their first rape before the age of 25; 42.2% experienced their first completed rape before the age of 18 years. [v]
One in 10 high school students has experienced physical violence from a dating partner in the past year. [vi]
Most female and male victims of rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner (69% of female victims, 53% of male victims) experienced some form of intimate partner violence for the first time before 25 years of age. [vii]
43% of dating college women report experiencing violent and abusive dating behaviors including physical, sexual, tech, verbal or controlling abuse. [viii]
Nearly 1 in 3 (29%) college women say they have been in an abusive dating relationship. [ix]
52% of college women report knowing a friend who has experienced violent and abusive dating behaviors including physical, sexual, tech, verbal or controlling abuse. [x]
More than half (57%) of college students who report experiencing dating violence and abuse said it occurred in college. [xi]
58% of college students say they don’t know what to do to help someone who is a victim of dating abuse. [xii]
38% of college students say they don’t know how to get help for themselves if they were a victim of dating abuse. [xiii]
More than half of all college students (57%) say it is difficult to identify dating abuse. [xiv]
1 in 3 (36%) dating college students has given a dating partner their computer, email, or social network passwords and these students are more likely to experience digital dating abuse. [xv]
1 in 5 college women has been verbally abused by a dating partner. [xvi]
1 in 6 (16%) college women has been sexually abused in a dating relationship. [xvii]
1 in 4 dating teens is abused or harassed online or through texts by their partners. [xviii]
Victims of digital abuse and harassment are 2 times as likely to be physically abused, 2.5 times as likely to be psychologically abused, and 5 times as likely to be sexually coerced. [xix]
Nearly 1 in 10 teens in relationships report to having a partner tamper with their social networking account (the most frequent form of harassment or abuse). [xx]
Only 1 in 5 victims say they experienced digital abuse or harassment at school and during school hours (most takes place away from school grounds). [xxi]
About 84% of victims are psychologically abused by their partners, half are physically abused, and one-third experiences sexual coercion. [xxii]
Only 4% experience digital abuse and harassment alone. So social media, texts, and e-mails don’t seem to invite new abuse, they just provide abusive partners with a new tool. [xxiii]

[i] http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/teen_dating_violence.html

[ii] http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/datingmatters_flyer_2012-a.pdf

[iii-vii] http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/cdc_nisvs_overview_insert_final-a.pdf

https://www.loveisrespect.org/pdf/College_Dating_And_Abuse_Final_Study.pdf

http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412750-teen-dating-abuse.pdf

IN THE WORKPLACE

Nearly 33% of women killed in U.S. workplaces between 2003-2008 were killed by a current or former intimate partner. [i]
Nearly one in four large private industry establishments reported at least one incidence of domestic violence, including threats and assaults, in 2005. [ii]
A survey of American employees found that 44% of full-time employed adults personally experienced domestic violence’s effect in their workplaces, and 21% identified themselves as victims of intimate partner violence. [iii]
64% of the respondents in a 2005 survey who identified themselves as victims of domestic violence indicated that their ability to work was affected by the violence. More than half of domestic violence victims (57%) said they were distracted, almost half (45%) feared getting discovered, and two in five were afraid of their intimate partner’s unexpected visit (either by phone or in person). [iv]
Nearly two in three corporate executives (63%) say that domestic violence is a major problem in our society and more than half (55%) cite its harmful impact on productivity in their companies. [v]
Nine in ten employees (91%) say that domestic violence has a negative impact on their company’s bottom line. Just 43% of corporate executives agree. Seven in ten corporate executives (71%) do not perceive domestic violence as a major issue at their company. [vi]
More than 70% of United States workplaces do not have a formal program or policy that addresses workplace violence. [vii]
Nearly 8 million days of paid work each year is lost due to domestic violence issues – the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs. [viii]
96% of domestic violence victims who are employed experience problems at work due to abuse. [ix]

[i] http://www.annalsofepidemiology.org/article/S1047-2797(12)00024-5/abstract
[ii] http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/osnr0026.pdf
[iii-iv] http://www.caepv.org/getinfo/facts_stats.php?factsec=3
[v-vi] http://www.caepv.org/about/program_detail.php?refID=34
[viii] http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/ipv_cost/IPVBook-Final-Feb18.pdf
[ix] http://www.clicktoempower.org/domestic-violence-facts.aspx

Signs to be aware of:

Signs of Domestic Violence

If you or someone you know is trying to cope with an intimate partner violence situation, please call to make an appointment.  I can help you put the pieces together.  Please also check out these community and national resources from the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign:

Champaign-Urbana Community Resources

24-Hour Crisis Lines

  • Domestic violence (A Woman’s Place): 217.384.4390
  • Mental health / suicide (Community Elements): 217.359.4141
  • Sexual assault (Rape Advocacy, Counseling, & Education Services): 217.384.4444

For help anywhere in the U.S., call

RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) hotline: 1.800.656.HOPE | RAINN website

Advocacy/Support Resources

Health and Medical Resources

Mental Health Resources

Public Safety Resources

Resources:

https://ncadv.org/statistics?gclid=Cj0KCQjw_5rtBRDxARIsAJfxvYAH1r3o4vEXjtBxITgns8oFxiTTESHKlQy8uZtFxpyeXOn7bUdpFo4aAmUEEALw_wcB

https://www.thehotline.org/resources/statistics/

https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw2018/info_flyers/fact_sheets/2018NCVRW_IPV_508_QC.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/index.html

http://clotheslineproject.info/project.html

https://www.breakthecycle.org/blog/it%E2%80%99s-national-domestic-violence-awareness-month

https://oiir.illinois.edu/womens-center/resources/community-resources

Please follow and like us:
error