Domestic Violence
www.wcspittsburgh.org
Women worldwide ages 15 - 44 are more likely to die or be maimed as a result of male violence than as a consequence of war, cancer, malaria and traffic accidents combined.
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) afflicts one American woman in four and claims a life in the United States every six hours. Far more Americans, mostly women, have been killed in the last dozen years at the hands of their partners than in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
1 in 3 women will become victims of domestic violence in their lifetime
1 in 3 teenage girls will be physically assaulted by a boyfriend
Intimate Partner Violence is the leading predictor of child abuse
Boys who witness intimate partner violence in their homes are 1500 times more likely to perpetrate abuse later in life
50% of girls growing up in an abusive home will go on to be victims of abuse themselves
Relationship and Gender Breakdown of Adult domestic Violence Victims:
About 1 in 4 women (24.3%) and 1 in 7 men (13.8%) have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner (e.g., hit with a fist or something hard, beaten, slammed against something) at some point in their lifetime.
An estimated 10.7% of women and 2.1% of men have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime.
Nearly half of all women and men in the United States have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime (48.4% and 48.8% respectively.)
Most female and make victims of rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner (69% of female victims; 53% of male victims) experience some form of intimate partner violence for their first time before 25 years of age.
Impact of Violence by and Intimate Partner:
Nearly 3 in 10 women and 1 in 10 men in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and reported at least one impact related to experiencing these or other forms of violent behavior in the relationship (e.g., being fearful, concerned for safety, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, need for health care, injury, contacting crisis hotline, need for housing services, need for victim’s advocate services, need for legal services, missed at least one day or work or school.)
Recognizing Partner Violence
Partner Violence occurs when one person in an intimate relationship exercises power and control over the other through a pattern of intentional behaviors, including psychological, emotional, physical and sexual abuse. There is no way to define a “typical” victim of domestic violence – it can affect anyone from any socioeconomic, demographic, geographic or educational background. The greatest risk factor for victimization is simply being a woman.
While most people are able to recognize an abusive relationship when it involves physical violence, relationships involving psychological or emotional abuse are more subtle, but no less destructive. If allowed to continue, these behaviors can escalate to include more physically dangerous abuse over time. It is important to recognize key characteristics of domestic violence so that abuse can be stopped before it becomes life threatening.
The progression of violence is outlined below, and includes repeated use of one or more of the following behaviors.
Verbal Abuse:
Name-calling
Put downs
Yelling
Use of profanity
Unfounded accusations
Cruel and hurtful remarks
Degrading the victim in public
Diminishing accomplishments
Flying into rages
Physical Abuse:
Choking/Strangulation
Holding the victim down against their will
Throwing or breaking objects
Pushing
Shoving
Slapping
Biting
Punching
Kicking
Using a weapon
Murder
Emotional Abuse:
Isolation
Ignoring
Controlling finances or employment
Lack of trust/Suspicion
Following or stalking the victim
Criticizing
Threats of suicide
Threats of taking away children
Threats of physical violence
Threats of murder
Minimizes or denies behavior, explosive or critical reactions
Sexual Abuse:
Rape
Forcing unwanted sexual acts
Use of weapons during sex
Forced sex involving multiple partners
Inflicts pain during sex
