America's Deadly Domestic Violence Problem: At Least A Third Of All Women Murdered In The U.S. A

At Least A Third Of All Women Murdered In The U.S. Are Killed By Male Partners

Over 18,000 Women Were Killed By Men Since 2003

On average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in this country every day. More often than not, women are shot.

Related Statistics:

About one in three high school students have been or will be involved in an abusive relationship.

40% / Forty percent of teenage girls ages 14 to 17 say they know someone their age that has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend.

In one study, from 30 to 50 percent of female high school students reported having already experienced teen dating violence.

Teen dating violence most often takes place in the home of one of the partners.

In 1995, 7 percent of all murder victims were young women who were killed by their boyfriends

One in five or 20% of dating couples report some type of violence in their relationship

One of five college females will experience some form of dating violence

60% of young women, ages 15 to 24, were currently involved in an ongoing abusive relationship and all participants had experienced violence in a dating relationship.

38% of date rape victims were young women from 14 to 17 years of age.

Date rape accounted for 67 percent of sexual assaults.

More than half young women raped (68 percent) knew their rapist either as a boyfriend, friend or casual acquaintance.

Six out of 10 rapes of young women occur in their own home or a friend or relative's home, not in a dark alley.

More than 4 in every 10 incidents of domestic violence involved non-married persons

Physical violence in dating relationships ranges from 20-35%.

It is estimated that between 20% to 52% of high school and college age dating couples have engaged in physical abuse.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women in the United States.

Male partners assault 2 million American women each year.

95% of the victims of domestic violence are women.

A woman is abused every 12 seconds in the United States.

35% of all emergency room calls are a result of domestic violence.

Of those who abuse their partner, well over 65% also physically and/or sexually abuse the children.

Each day, 4 women die as a result of abuse.

Each day, 3 children die as a result of abuse.

32% of female homicide victims are killed by their intimate partners.

Approximately 1-3 million women are battered each year by their intimate partner.

In the United States, a woman is more likely to be assaulted, raped, or killed by an intimate partner than by any other type of assailant.

Nearly one-third of American women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives.

Approximately 85% of the victims of domestic violence are women.

37% of all women who sought care in hospital emergency rooms for violence related injuries were injured by a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend.

11% of all murders in 1998 were the result of domestic violence.

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.

Slightly more than half of female victims of domestic violence live in households with children under age 12.

Child abuse occurs in 30-60% of family violence cases that involve families with children.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline has received more than 700,000 calls for assistance since February 1996.

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 estimates that 503,485 women are stalked by an intimate partner each year in the United States - National Institute of Justice, July 2000.

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. - Violence by Intimates: Analysis of Data on Crimes by Current or Former Spouses, Boyfriends, and Girlfriends, U.S. Department of Justice, March, 1998.

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

Women are 5 to 8 times more likely than men to be victimized by an intimate partner.

Violence by an intimate partner accounts for about 21% of violent crime experienced by women.

Violence by an intimate partner accounts for about 2% of violent crime experienced by men.

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

Of women who reported being raped and /or physically assaulted since the age of 18, three quarters (76 percent) were victimized by a current or former husband cohabitating partner, date, or boyfriend.

In 1994, women separated from their spouses had a victimization rate 1 ½ times higher than separated men, divorced men, or divorced 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 partner from 1976-1996.

40% / percent of teenage girls age 14 to 17 report knowing someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend.

Family violence costs the nation from $5 to $10 billion annually in medical expenses, police and court costs, shelters and foster care, sick leave, absenteeism, and non-productivity.

One in five female high school students reports being physically or sexually abused by a dating partner.

Around the world, at least one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime. Most often, the abuser is a member of her own family.

Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women—more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined.

Studies suggest that up to 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually.

Nearly 1 in 5 teenage girls who have been in a relationship said a boyfriend threatened violence or self-harm if presented with a breakup.

Everyday in the US, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends.

Ninety-two percent of women surveyed listed reducing domestic violence and sexual assault as their top concern.

Domestic violence victims lose nearly 8 million days of paid work per year in the US alone—the equivalent of 32,000 full-time jobs.

Based on reports from 10 countries, between 55 percent and 95 percent of women who had been physically abused by their partners had never contacted non-governmental organizations, shelters, or the police for help.

The costs of intimate partner violence in the US alone exceed $5.8 billion per year: $4.1 billion are for direct medical and health care services, while productivity losses account for nearly $1.8 billion.

Men who as children witnessed their parents’ domestic violence were twice as likely to abuse their own wives than sons of nonviolent parents.

63% of all boys, age 11-20, who commit murder kill the man who was abusing their mother

75% of boys who are present when their mothers are beaten were later identified as having demonstrable behavior problems

Children from homes characterized by domestic violence are five to seven times more likely to experience significant psychological problems relative to children in the general population.

Domestic violence exposed children are four times more likely to visit the school nurse.

More than half of school age children in domestic violence shelters show clinical levels of anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Researchers have linked exposure to chronic abuse and violence with lower IQ scores, poorer language skills, decrements in visual-motor integration skills and problems with attention and memory.

Witnessing violence as a child is associated with adult reports of depression, trauma-related symptoms and low self-esteem among women and trauma-related symptoms among men

Children in homes where domestic violence occurs are physically abused or seriously neglected at a rate 1500% higher than the national average in the general population.

3.3 million children witness domestic violence each year in the US.