5 Truths about Domestic Violence
As you may know, October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence. Domestic Violence is not specific to gender, although the U.S. Department of Justice reports that females aged 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 generally experience the highest rates of intimate partner violence. Statistics show that domestic violence and the situations that occur because of domestic violence are some of the leading causes of harm to women. Below, we’ve listed some of the most ghastly ways in which domestic violence and domestic violence related issues affect women and their wellbeing, emotionally, physically and financially.
In a 2014 poll by NBC, it was revealed that more than 1 in 5 women have experienced at least 1 severe act of physical violence and nearly 1 in 3 U.S women will experience physical violence (slapping, pushing, or shoving) by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Domestic violence is the third leading cause of homelessness among families, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. At least 1/3 of the families using New York City’s family shelter system are homeless due to domestic violence.
More than 4 million women experience physical assault and rape by their partners. In 2 out of 3 female homicide cases, females are killed by a family member or an intimate partner.
Domestic violence is the leading cause of female homicides and injury-related deaths during pregnancy.
Black women experience intimate partner violence at rates 35 percent higher than white women.
Domestic violence affects more people than we know, but sometimes, we are encouraged to either ignore signs of domestic violence or blame the victim. Both are harmful to the victim, but most importantly, they are instrumental in perpetuating the idea that domestic violence and intimate partner violence are private issues that should be dealt with privately. This unwillingness to communicate issues of domestic violence with legal authority or friends and family members that can help will only continue to aid the pervasiveness of domestic violence related incidents and deaths. We ask that women and men ask for help as soon as they find themselves or anyone they love in such a situation. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800−799−SAFE (7233).
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