Part I, of the two part blog series on domestic violence, focused on bringing awareness and understanding to the many reasons people choose to remain in violent relationships. Part II highlights the prevalence of partner-on-partner violence by zeroing in on recent statistics from, The Centers for Disease Control, and The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
According to, The Centers for Disease Control, intimate partner violence (IPV), or domestic violence is a serious, preventable public health problem that affects millions of Americans. The term "intimate partner violence" describes physical, sexual, or psychological harm by a current or former partner.
In my search for determining the magnitude of IPV, I discovered the number of American troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq between 2001 and 2012 was far less than women killed in America by current/former partners. The numbers I found were sobering. For example, American soldiers who lost their lives in combat was 6,488. Whereas, the number of American women who were murdered by current or ex-male partners during that time was 11,766. That’s almost twice the amount of deaths due to war related combat.
As Domestic Violence Awareness Month comes to an end for 2016, open conversation about intimate partner abuse and its repercussions should continue. In an attempt to further illustrate the gravity of domestic violence sweeping across America, I chose to include some statistics from a downloadable fact sheet first published by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Domestic violence is not a small problem. It is a vast, and extremely serious problem deeply rooted in American culture- and these recent 2015 statistics prove just that.
1 in 3 American women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of [some form of] physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime.
1 in 5 American women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
1 in 7 women and 1 in 18 men have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime to the point in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.
On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide.
The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%.
Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime in America.
Women between the ages of 18-24 are most commonly abused by an intimate partner.
19% of domestic violence involves a weapon in the US.
Domestic victimization is correlated with a higher rate of depression and suicidal behavior.
Only 34% of people who are injured in the US by intimate partners receive medical care for their injuries.
Increasing self awareness is the first step towards creating safer, abusive free environments for all. Together we can all help by speaking out to reduce the stigma of domestic violence. If you or someone you care about is in a violent relationship, help is available by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Need a safety plan for a friend or family member? Click here.
Misti Luke is a licensed mental health therapist in private practice in beautiful Broken Bow, Oklahoma. She has worked with victims of domestic violence for the past thirteen years. For correspondence email misti@mistiluke.com