Domestic Violence
Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence. It does not discriminate against age, race, sexual orientation, education, or marital status. Many people believe that women are the only victims of domestic violence, but approximately 15% of men have been victims of domestic violence.
Domestic violence is one of the most underreported crimes in the U.S. Approximately ¼ of all physical assaults, 1/5 of all rapes, and ½ of all stalking incidents are reported to the police. Each year, only 20% of the 1.5 million people who have experienced domestic violence successfully obtain civil protection orders. Of those protection orders, more than half are violated by the abuser.
Many states define the type of relationship that falls under domestic violence laws differently. Most states require the abuser and victim to be current or former spouses, living together, or have children together. Some states include a current or former dating relationship in their domestic violence laws. In three states, (Delaware, Montana, and South Carolina) same-sex relationships are excluded from domestic violence laws.
Domestic Violence and Global Positioning System (GPS) Tracking:
Thirteen states have passed laws that allow for GPS tracking of violators of orders of protection. The GPS device allows a notification to be sent to victims and their families via text message or voicemail to their cell phones or pagers if a violator enters their “safe zone.”
Fast Facts:
• One in four women has experienced domestic violence in her lifetime.
• Women accounted for 85% of the victims of intimate partner violence, men for approximately 15%.
• Nearly three out of four of Americans personally know someone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence.
• On average, more than three women and one man are murdered by their intimate partners in this country every day.
• The health-related costs of intimate partner violence exceed $5.8 billion each year. Of that amount, nearly $4.1 billion are for direct medical and mental health care services, and nearly $1.8 billion are for the indirect costs of lost productivity or wages.
Resources:
Domestic Violence Resource Center
Cynthia L. Bischof Memorial Foundation
Domestic Violence.org
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
