DOMESTIC VIOLENCE STATISTICS
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE UNITED STATES
- Nearly one-third of American women (31 percent) report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives, according to a 1998 Commonwealth Fund survey.
- In the year 2001, more than half a million American women (588,490) were victims of nonfatal violence by an intimate partner.
- In 2001, intimate partner violence made up 20 percent of violent crime against women.
- As many as 324,000 women each year experience intimate partner violence during their pregnancy.
- On average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in this country every day. In 2000, 1,247 women were killed by an intimate partner. The same year, 440 men were killed by an intimate partner.
- Pregnant or recently pregnant women are more likely to be victims of homicide than to die of any other cause.
- Each year, up to 4 million women are physically abused by their husbands or live-in partners.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN MARYLAND
- In 2005, the Maryland State Police Uniform Crime Report stated that 22 of the 69 homicide victims were the current or former intimate partner of the perpetrator.
- In 2005, there were 22, 092 reported cases of domestic violence, 22 of which resulted in homicide.
- 8 children were killed in Maryland as a result of domestic violence between July 1, 2004 to June 30 2005.
- In the fiscal year 2005, 23, 627 domestic violence cases were filed n the District Court in Maryland.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILDREN
- Studies suggest that between 3.3 and 10 million children are exposed to domestic violence annually.
- In a national survey of more than 6,000 American families, 50 percent of men who frequently assaulted their wives also frequently abused their children.
- Studies of children who witness domestic violence show that they are more likely to perpetuate the cycle of violence in their own relationships.
- Children under the age of twelve resided in 43 percent of the households in which domestic violence was reported between 1993 and 1998.
- 63 percent of males incarcerated between the ages of 12-20 were there for assaulting or killing their mother's abuser.
- Men who witnessed violence in their childhood homes are three times as likely to batter their wives and/or girlfriends.
- On study of 2,245 children and teenagers found that recent exposure to violence in the home was a significant factor in predicting a child's violent behavior.
- Children who are exposed to domestic violence are more likely to exhibit behavioral and physical health problem including, depression, anxiety, and violence toward peers. They are also more likely to attempt suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away from home, engage in teenage prostitution, and commit sexual assault crime.
- Up to 40 percent of violent juvenile offenders witnessed domestic violence in their homes.
- In 2004-2005, Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence served 542 children as secondary victims of domestic violence and provided shelter services to 46 children.
- Fathers who batter the mothers of their children, are twice as likely to seek sole custody of their children.
- Batterers often use child custody as a forum for further abuse through harassing and retaliatory legal actions.
- The need for supervised visitation centers far exceeds the number of available programs, resulting in courts ordering unsupervised visitation and endangering parents an children.
- According to one study, during court ordered visitation, 5 percent of abusive fathers threaten to kill the mother, 34 percent threaten to kidnap their children, and 25 percent threaten to physically hurt their children.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IMMIGRANT VICTIMS
- Immigrant women often feel trapped in abusive relationships because of immigration laws, language barriers, social isolation, and lack of financial resources.
- A recent study in New York City found that 51 percent of intimate partner homicide victims were foreign-born, while 45 percent were born in the United States.
- Abusers often use their partners' immigration status as a tool of control. In such situations, it is common for a batterer to exert control over his partner's immigration status in order to force her to remain in the relationship.
- Immigrant women often suffer higher rates of battering than U.S. citizens because they may come from cultures that accept domestic violence or because they have less access to legal and social services than U.S. citizens. Additionally, immigrant batterers and victims may believe that the penalties and protection of the U.S. legal system do not apply to them.
- Battered immigrant women who attempt to flee may not have access to bilingual shelters, financial assistance, or food. It is also unlikely that they will have the assistance of a certified interpreter in court, when reporting complaints to the police or a 911 operator, or even acquiring information abut their rights and the legal system.
Domestic Violence Information