Did you know that until the late 1970's that domestic violence was not identified as a criminal act? The violence that both women and children suffered at the hands of their intimate partners or members of the household went uncheck and ignored by our criminal justice system. Thousands of calls came into police dispatch systems for help and relief, but little was done to the abuser. I know personally because of situations I was in and also because of situations I knew about with other family members and friends. It was so hard for me to believe that the person you love deeply could actually hurt you physically and emotionally. The physical and emotional scarring causes both trauma and depression beyond belief.
I want to believe that things are much better in 2022 for victims of domestic violence. We now have domestic violence shelters; police will arrest abusers if the victims press charges. Often victims find themselves willing to give the abuser another chance. These chances allow the abuser to continue the negative behavior that leaves the family in danger of receiving more abuse. Something I discovered was when you allow the abuser another chance with no consequences it seldom helps the abuser to stop the abuse. The is no behavior change. There is no commitment required for the abuser to seek and find help that will lead to no more abuse in the future. The toxic love relationships often lead to more abuse that can be more and more lethal.
Domestic Violence is not limited to social economics, race, profession, or any other label our society puts on people. Domestic violence is everywhere and at any time. Some abusers are religious leaders, police officers, teachers, and family members like dads, uncles, and others that we trust.
Notice some statistics below regarding domestic violence. What Is Domestic Violence? | American SPCC - Statistics & Effects of Domestic Violence in America
The term domestic violence is often referred to as domestic abuse, battering, or family violence and more recently, as intimate partner violence (IPV).
Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.
Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. Domestic violence has devastating effects upon children and families
More than 10 million women and men in the United States experience physical violence each year by a current or former intimate partner (2011).
Over 1 in 5 women (22.3%) experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Nearly 1 in 7 men (14.0%) have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner.
Approximately 9.2% of women and 2.5% of men have been stalked by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
CHILD STATISTICS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
The statistics of child domestic violence in America are staggering. Domestic violence is extremely widespread and has lifelong impacts. Children exposed to violence are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol; suffer from depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic disorders; fail or have difficulty in school; and become delinquent and engage in criminal behavior.
60% of American children were exposed to violence, crime, or abuse in their homes, schools, and communities.
Almost 40% of American children were direct victims of 2 or more violent acts, and 1 in 10 were victims of violence 5 or more times.
Children are more likely to be exposed to violence and crime than adults.
Almost 1 in 10 American children saw one family member assault another family member, and
More than 25% had been exposed to family violence during their life.
A child’s exposure to one type of violence increases the likelihood that the child will be exposed to other types of violence and exposed multiple times.
The impact of COVID-19 on violence against women and girls
There is initial evidence of intensification of violence against women and girls across the globe. Reports from service-use data in different countries have shown an important increase in reported cases of domestic violence to helplines, women’s refuges/shelters and the police, linked to COVID-19. Calls to helplines have increased five-fold in some countries. Other countries, however, have observed a decrease in the number of domestic violence incidents reported, highlighting accessibility and availability challenges during lockdowns and other social distancing measures.[3]
Emerging data collected by UN Women through rapid gender assessments on the impact of COVID-19 on violence against women confirm a shadow pandemic. The report "Measuring the shadow pandemic: Violence against women during COVID-19" presents the first set of reliable, cross-country, and nationally representative data on topics related to VAW, women’s safety at home and in the public sphere during COVID-19 and access to resources, services, among others.
By October 2021, 52 countries had integrated violence against women and girls prevention and response into COVID-19 plans, and 150 countries have adopted measures to strengthen services for women survivors of violence during the global crisis. Continuing efforts are needed to ensure the recovery responses fully integrate ending violence against women measures to build a post-pandemic equal world.[4]
Big data analysis in eight Asian countries shows that Internet searches related to violence against women and help-seeking rose significantly during COVID-19 lockdowns. Searches related to physical violence, including keywords such as “physical abuse signs”, “violent relationship”, and “cover bruises on face” increased 47 per cent in Malaysia, 63 per cent in the Philippines and 55 per cent in Nepal between October 2019 and September 2020. Searches using help-seeking keywords such as “domestic violence hotline” increased in almost all countries, including a 70 per cent rise in Malaysia.[5]
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233