Domestic Violence Statistics

THE IMPACT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
FACT SHEET

Estimates range from 960,000 incidents of violence against a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend per year to 4 million women who are physically abused by their husbands or live-in partners per year. (Violence by Intimates: Analysis of Data on Crimes by Current or Former Spouses, Boyfriends, and Girlfriends, U.S. Department of Justice, March, 1998; 1998 Survey of Women's Health, Commonwealth Fund, May 1999).
Weapons are used in 30% of domestic violence incidents (Bureau of Justice Statistics, undated).
An estimated 2.8 million children were reported as suspected child abuse or neglect cases in 1998 and over 900,000 of them were confirmed as victims of child abuse and neglect (Administration for Children and Families, US Department of Health and Human Services, ACF Press Room: HHS News, HHS Reports New Child Abuse and Neglect Statistics, April 10, 2000).
The U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse suggests that domestic violence may be the single major precursor to child abuse and neglect fatalities in this country (U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, A Nation's Shame: Fatal Child Abuse and Neglect in the United States; Fifth Report, 1995).

Battered women’s injuries are at least as serious as injuries suffered in 90% of violent felony crimes, yet under state laws, they are almost always classified as misdemeanors (Joan Zorzan, The Gender Bias Committee’s Domestic Violence Study, 1989).
92% of women who were physically abused by their partners did not discuss these incidents with their physicians; 57% did not discuss the incidents with anyone (1993, The Commonwealth Fund National Survey).
Women with histories of physical abuse are 3 times more likely to have histories of alcohol use problems, and 9.5 times more likely to have histories of drug use problems. Abused women report twice as many days as non-abused women of feeling depressed or anxious, and of having pain limit their activities. Compared to non-abused women, abused women see health care providers nearly twice as often, are 4 times more likely to use social services and 3 times more likely to use criminal/legal services (1998 Oregon Domestic Violence Needs Assessment).
Increased frequency of violence towards a spouse or intimate partner is associated with a serious increase in risk of the violent person being abusive to children. Some research shows children in these homes are 1500 times more likely to be directly abused (Ross, S. "Risk of Physical Abuse to Children of Spouse Abusing Parents" Child Abuse and Neglect 1996).
Physical battering often begins during pregnancy. One study found that one in six pregnant women reported physical abuse during their present pregnancy, and one in four reported physical abuse in the last calendar year (Judith McFarlane, et. al., 1991 "Journal of the American Medical Association").
Research has shown that children who see or hear a parent being battered by someone are traumatized as much as children who themselves are beaten or sexually abused (Peter Jaffe, et. al, Children of Battered Women, 1990).
These children display emotional and behavioral disturbances as diverse as withdrawal, low self-esteem, nightmares, self-blame and aggression against peers, family members and property (Peled, Inat, et. al, "Ending the Cycle of Violence: Community Responses to Children", Sage Publications, 1995).
One in six Oregon children under 18 live in households where women were physically abused within the last year. 60% are estimated by these women to have witnessed the abuse during the past year. 81,400 saw or heard the abuse at least once per month (1998 Oregon Domestic Violence Needs Assessment). Nationwide, the estimate is that over 10 million children per year witness domestic violence in their families (Straus, M., "Children as Witnesses to Marital Violence", 1992).
In 50-75% of households with children where there is domestic violence the children are abused as well (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence).
38% of families where there was substantiated child abuse or neglect and 48% of children entering foster care in Oregon in 1998 lived in households where domestic violence was a current problem (1998 Services to Children and Families Report).
Being abused or neglected as a child increases the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 53 %, as an adult by 38%, and for a violent crime by 38%. (Widom, C.S. 1992 "The Cycle of Violence," National Institute of Justice).

40.5% of youth assessed at DYS Intake since 10/98 have reported histories of exposure to family violence. Of those youth found to have risk factors in all four categories (family, school, juvenile justice and A&D) the percent rose to 58% (Lane County Risk Assessment, Department of Youth Services).

Of girls served through the Oregon Social Learning Center Programs, 81% had documented histories of physical abuse, and 84.5% had documented histories of sexual abuse. Of this same group of youth, boys spent an average of 66 days and girls spent an average of 131 days in juvenile detention (OSLC, Lane County Oregon, 1999).

63% of boys ages 11-20 who commit homicide, murder the man who was abusing their mother (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence).

73% of male abusers were abused as children (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence).

Of the children who witness domestic violence, 60% of the boys eventually become batterers and 50% of the girls become victims (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence).

67% of intensive psychiatric case management clients had a history of both physical and sexual abuse. At Lane County Psychiatric Hospital, 68% of patients had a recorded history of childhood abuse (1997 chart audit).

Up to 50% of all homeless women and children in this country are fleeing domestic violence (Elizabeth Schneider, Legal Reform Efforts for Battered Women, 1990).

In the first year after a divorce, a woman’s standard of living drops by 73% while a man’s improves by an average of 42% (Action Notes, 1989).
A primary cause of child poverty in the US is the nonpayment of child support. More than 80% of non-custodial parents either pay nothing or less than 15% of their income for child support. Currently, approximately $35 billion in child support is owned to our children (The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children , Sarah Buel, J.D. 1997).
Data from a 1995 Gallup Poll of Family violence suggests that from 1.5 million to 3.3 million children witness domestic violence each year (Gallup, GH Jr., Moor, DW, and Schussel, R. 1997. Disciplining Children in America. Princeton, NJ; The Gallup Organization).
Men who as children witnessed their parents' domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own wives than sons of nonviolent parents (Strauss, Murray A., Gelles Richard J., and Smith, Christine.Physical Violence in American Families; Risk Factors and Adaptations to Violence in 8,145 Families. New Brunswick; Transaction Publishers, 1990).