Domestic violence is the most common crime committed in the United States.

Did you know that...

• An act of battering occurs every 9 seconds.
• Some studies estimate that there may be as many as 4 million victims a year.
• 50% of all women will experience battering at some time in their life, 30% will experience battering on an on-going basis.
• An American woman is more likely to be injured in her own home than on the streets.
• Domestic Violence is the single leading cause for emergency room visits for women. It accounts for over a million visits a year. That is 37% of all emergency room visits.
• Domestic Violence is deadly. 42% of all women who are murdered are killed by their intimate male partner.
• Women are not the only victims. There are 3.4 million children who live in homes were domestic violence is present.
• Even children who are not physically or sexually abused are emotionally traumatized by witnessing their mother’s abuse.

Children who grow up in homes where domestic violence is present are more likely to suffer from social problems, truancy, poor school performance & promiscuity, and more. They are:

• 57 times more likely to abuse drugs
• 74 times more likely to commit crimes
• 6 times more likely to commit suicide
• 1500 times more likely to continue the cycle of abuse in their own relationships

Myth Vs. Fact

• MYTH: Domestic violence looks like a couple getting into a fight on Saturday night, beating each other up and totally disrupting the neighborhood.

• FACT: Domestic violence more often looks like one partner intimidating, controlling and terrorize the other. It's not always two people in a fist fight. It is one person dominating and controlling the other.

• MYTH: Domestic violence occurs only in poor, poorly educated or minority families.

• FACT:It makes no difference what race or ethnic background one is, how educated they are, how much income they make or if the are religious or not. Anyone can be a victim.

• MYTH: An abuser has an anger control problem.

• FACT:While the person may be angry at the time of the assault, they are in control of their actions. Abusers carefully select where to hit their partner to keep the abuse hidden by clothing. Battering is a choice.

• MYTH: Battering or abuse is very rare.

• FACT:It is the most common crime in the United States, occurring every 9 seconds.

• MYTH: If an abused person really wanted to leave, they could just pack up and leave?

• FACT:Even with the thought of leaving, victims are faced with the very real possibility of severe physical injury, or even death. Many abused persons want the violence to end but not the relationship.