Domestic Abuse... It's Everywhere

Domestic violence affects every single one of us every day whether we realize it or not. If we are not a victim ourselves, there is a strong possibility that we may know a victim or victims without even realizing it.

Did you ever work with a woman whose husband continually calls her at work or visits her all the time? Did you ever notice the change in her voice or attitude when she receives these calls? Do you notice her getting flustered? Whispering on the phone? Perhaps she holds it inside and doesn't mention anything to anyone. Or, maybe she leaves work quickly, sometimes not even saying goodbye to her co-workers? Or maybe she arrives late looking disheveled or appears with red swollen eyes that obviously were crying all night. Chances are this woman is being abused.

The Facts...

· 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.

· It is estimated that 503,485 women are stalked by an intimate partner each year in the United States.

· Estimates range from 960,000 incidents of violence against a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend each year to 4 million women who are physically abused by their husbands or live-in partners each year. -

· Studies show that child abuse occurs in 30-60% of family violence cases that involve families with children.

· In 92% of all domestic violence incidents, crimes are committed by men against women.

· In 1996, among all female murder victims in the U.S., 30% were slain by their husbands or boyfriends.

· 31,260 women were murdered by an intimate from 1976-1996

· A child's exposure to the father abusing the mother is the strongest risk factor for transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next. -

· Forty percent of teenage girls age 14 to 17 report knowing someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend.

· Females accounted for 39% of the hospital emergency department visits for violence-related injuries.

· Family violence costs the nation from $5 to $10 billion annually in medical expenses