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Domestic Violence Awareness Month Statistics

October 6, 2022

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It affects many people in America daily. Victims can find themselves in difficult living situations and often struggle to have residential and financial independence from their abusers. Children can also bear witness to this abusive behavior and experience a lifetime of mental and emotional trauma.

Here are some facts, presented by Plant Street Inc., about domestic violence in the United States and the impact that it has on individuals and society as a whole.

An overview of Domestic Violence in the United States

Information provided by Plant Street Inc

• Intimate partner violence is accountable for 15% of all violent crimes annually in the United States.
• More than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men experience either physical violence, rape, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Victims are commonly abused by those who are closest to them.
• Each day in the United States, over 20,000 calls are placed to domestic violence hotlines by individuals reporting incidents.
• On average, 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner. This is an astounding number that shows just how prevalent this is in our society.
• A weapon is used in 19% of domestic violence incidents.
• Women who are victims of intimate partner violence are most likely to be between the ages of 18 to 24.

Sexual Violence Statistics

Information provided by Plant Street Inc

Sexual violence is a common form of domestic violence. However, there are numerous victims that experience sexual violence daily. Part of approaching a solution to this form of violence is to understand how it is and how it happens. Here is a look at common sexual violence in domestic situations.

• 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men have been raped in their lifetime. This represents a very large portion of the American population that has first-hand experience with sexual violence.
• 40% of women raped in the United States are assaulted by an acquaintance while just over half report that they were raped by an intimate partner.
• It is estimated that 13% of women and 6% of men will experience sexual coercion in their lifetime.
• One in 4 gay men and one in three bisexual men will be the victim of rape or physical abuse by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Three in ten men will experience this in their lifetime.

The Personal and Societal Impact of Domestic Violence

Information provided by Plant Street Inc

Victims and their witnesses, often children, can carry emotional and mental scars for a lifetime. These impacts extend beyond the individual and have effects that reach society as a whole.

• 81% of women who have experienced stalking, rape, and physical violence suffered from long-term physical injuries and/or post-traumatic stress disorder. 35% of men reported the same impacts of their domestic violence experiences.
• Women who are victims of domestic violence are three times as likely to report that they struggle with mental health than those who do not experience domestic violence from an intimate partner.
• The cost of intimate partner violence is $8.3 billion each year.
• There is a correlation between increased suicide risk in those who are victims of domestic violence. The effects of violence on a person can be severe and long-lasting.
• Having a gun in the home where domestic violence is taking place increases the likelihood of a homicide by 500%. In fact, 72% of all murder suicides stem from intimate partner violence.
• Women who are abused by their intimate partners are far more likely to contract HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases as a result of forced sexual intercourse and prolonged exposure to stress.
• Those who have been abused by an intimate partner are at a higher risk for mental health problems such as depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, low self-esteem, isolation, fear of intimacy, and much more.

Children and Domestic Violence

Information provided by Plant Street Inc

Being victims of domestic violence and witnessing it in the home can have particularly damaging effects on children and teenagers. These effects include both short-term and long-term and often end up shaping the worldview of these young impressionable minds. Here are some of the ways that witnesses or experiencing domestic violence can impact America’s most vulnerable population:

• 1 in 15 children is exposed to domestic violence and intimate partner violence each year. An overwhelming majority of them witness these abuses firsthand.
• Over 15 million children in the United States have at some point lived in a house where domestic violence has occurred.
• Children who witness domestic violence are at a much greater risk of continuing this cycle of abuse in their life. It is estimated that a young boy who sees his mother abused is ten times more likely to abuse his intimate partner.
• A young girl who witnesses her mother abused by her father is six times more likely to be sexually abused.
• 1 in 5 female high school students reports being physically or sexually abused by someone they are dating.
• Teens who witness domestic violence are more likely to engage in risky behaviors, fight with family members, skip school, have low self-esteem, have difficulty making friends, take part in bullying, use alcohol and drugs, and get in trouble with the law.
• Young children who witness domestic violence often take the blame for it which in turn can affect their self-esteem, mental health, and performance at school. They may even experience physical effects associated with anxiety such as upset stomachs and headaches.
• In the long term, children who witness domestic violence at a young age are at a much higher risk for health problems when they become adults including mental health issues, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Domestic violence is prevalent in American society. Far too many children and adults are victims of this behavior each and every day. The impacts domestic violence has on society as a whole are far-reaching and long-lasting.

If you or someone you know is in need of help, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-7233 or texting START to 88788.