Domestic Violence Statistics

In Pennsylvania:

•The Pennsylvania State Police reported in 1990 that 39 percent of all women who were victims of homicide in the Commonwealth were victims of domestic violence.•In 1993, 32,795 Protection From Abuse orders were filed during 1993 throughout Commonwealth Courts. •According to newspaper reports, on average an adult or child dies every three days in Pennsylvania as the result of a domestic violence related crime. •In 1992, the Pennsylvania Blue Shield Institute estimates the total annual medical cost of domestic violence in PA at $326.6 million - more than the total medical costs for elder abuse, child abuse and street violence combined.
 
Nationally:

•According to a 1995 study by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine:

- one in three women is a victim of domestic abuse;

- one in every 20 women had experienced violence in the previous year;

-one of every five had experienced violence in her adult life;

-one in every three had experienced violence as either a child or an adult.

•42% of murdered women are killed by their intimate male partners; •In 1992, 7% of American women (3.9 million) who were married or living with someone as a couple were physically abused.37% were verbally or emotionally abused by their partner or spouse. •About 1 in 5 women victimized by their spouse or ex-spouses reported that they had been a victim of a series of at least 3 assaults in the last 6 months. •A woman is physically abused by her husband every 9 seconds in the United States.

Dating Violence:

•One in every 3 dating relationships is violent; •60% of women in abusive marriages say that physical violence began during dating; •Over 90% of the injuries in dating violence occur to the woman in the relationship; •Only 5% of teens who are battered by their dating partners ever call the police; •33% of teenage girls report physical violence from their date; •Physical violence occurs at a rate of approximately 20-50% in college dating relationships.

Domestic violence is a crime of epidemic proportions that plagues our society and causes permanent emotional scars, life-threatening injuries and death. This abuse occurs within an intimate relationship (adult or adolescent) and is characterized by blatant disregard for an individual's rights, body and health. Without appropriate intervention, domestic violence increases in frequency and severity over time. By systematically shattering lives, destroying families and devastating communities, domestic violence com promises the quality of all our lives.

Impacting every community
Domestic violence occurs regardless of age, race, ethnicity, mental or physical ability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status and religious background. Victims come from all walks of life but most often are women.

Power and control
Battering constitutes a pattern of behavior that includes the use or threat of violence and intimidation for the purpose of gaining power and controlling another person.

The violence is characterized by:
· physical abuse · emotional abuse
· sexual abuse · economic abuse

Loss of personal freedom
Domestic violence robs women of their fundamental right to maintain control over their own lives. Women who are abused live in fear and isolation in the one place they should always feel safe - their own homes. With tremendous courage and strength, they struggle each day to keep themselves and their children safe.plagues our society

The harm to children
· Like adult victims, children who witness domestic violence experience a great deal of fear and have multiple ways of expressing it. The negative effects of the abuse can be seen in a wide range of cognitive, psychological and physical symptoms.(Jaffe, P., Wolfe, D., & Wilson, & Children of Battered Women. 1990.)

· An estimated 3.3 to 10 million U.S. children are at risk for witnessing domestic violence annually. Researchers say these children are at an increased risk of being abused themselves.(Edleson, J. & PeIed, E. Small Group Intervention with Children of Battered Women. Violence Update Vol.4(9), May 1994.)

Staggering statistics
·A 1995 Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine survey of nearly 2,000 anonymous female patients found that one in three women had experienced domestic violence as either an adult or child.(MCCauley, J., et al. The "Battering Syndrome": Prevalence in Primary Care Internal Medicine Practices. Annals of Internal Medicine Vol.123(10), Nov.1995.)

· A 1993 national survey found that almost 4 million American women who were married or living with intimate partners were physically abused by their partners.(first Comprehensive National Health Survey of American Women. The Common- wealth Fund. New York, July 1993.)

Domestic violence doesn't only occur behind the closed doors of America's homes. This crime pervades every aspect of society; including the workplace. Many victims are working women, and too often the violence follows them to work. Employers have an opportunity and a responsibility to protect these women as well as their co-workers by educating employees, implementing security procedures and adopting model policies.

Prevalence of workplace violence
Domestic violence directly affects workplaces when batterers attack, stalk or harass women at work.
· In one study over half the battered women surveyed reported that their abusers harassed them at work. (Bureau of National Affairs, violence and Stress: The Work/Family Connection, Aug.1990.)

· Husbands and boyfriends commit an estimated 13,000 acts of violence against women in the workplace each year.
(U.S. Department of Justice, 1994.)

The effects
The effects of domestic violence on the workplace are far-reaching and can result in:
· increased security needs
· rising medical costs
· reduced job performance
· loss of experienced employees

Increased security needs
· Nationally, 94% of corporate security directors surveyed rank domestic violence as a high security problem.
(National Safe Workplace Institute survey. Talking frankly About Domestic Violence. Personnel Journal, April 1995.)

Rising medical costs
In 1992, Pennsylvania Blue Shield Institute estimated the total medical cost of domestic violence in PA at $326.6 million - more than the combined medical cost of elder abuse, child abuse and street violence.

Reduced job performance
Domestic violence can reduce productivity at work due to:
· safety concerns
· stalking
· absenteeism (e.g. due to injuries)
· time-off (e.g. for court appearances)

Studies of women who are being battered have found:
· 50-55% missed work due to abuse
· over 60% arrived late due to abuse (Stanley, Q Domestic Violence: An Occupational Impact Study. Tulsa, OK July 27, 1992; Shepard, M. and Pence, E. The Effect of Battering on the Employment Status of Women, Affilia, Vol.13(2), Summer 1988.)

A batterer may sabotage a woman's job performance by:
· keeping her up late at night
· failing to provide promised childcare or transportation
· hiding her clothes
· causing visible injuries

Loss of experienced employees
Studies show that, of those surveyed, 24% to 30% of women who are battered had lost their jobs due, at least in part, to domestic violence.
(Stanley C. Domestic Violence: An Occupational Impact Study. Tulsa, OK July 27, 1992; Shepard, M. and Pence, E. The Effect of Battering on the Employment Status of Women, Affilia, Vol.13(2), Summer 1988.)

From problem to solution
Employers can take many steps to make workplaces safer for women who are abused and, at the same time, maintain the company's financial stability. Appropriate workplace response to domestic violence benefits both the victims and their employers and moves us one step closer to a society where women and children are safe.