Domestic Violence Statistics

Domestic violence statistics compiled by various organizations including government agencies help to understand the extent of this social disease and its implications on the lives of innocent victims. These figures are the results of surveys, police records, and studies conducted by various domestic violence research bodies. But it has to be borne in mind that for every reported case there will be more that do not make it into these statistics. This can be due to many reasons, but the resultant fact is that the reported statistics is not an authentic reflection of the true state of affairs, as far as domestic violence is concerned.

According to the Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics report of 1994, over two thirds of violence against women was committed by an intimate (someone who is more than a friend) or a person they already know (someone you have not been intimate with).  Of these, about 28% were husbands or boyfriends, 35% were acquaintances, and 5% were relatives.

Similar violence against men by a person they already knew or an intimate person (someone who is more than a friend) was only 5%. According to the report, on an average 572,032 women experienced violence at the hands of an intimate, compared to 48,983 men. In 2002, the Bureau found that 11% of all violence came under the category of family violence. About 22% of murders in 2002 were domestic murders. 15% of prisoners convicted of violent crimes, were in prison for a violent act against a family member.

An interesting fact that came up in this report is that generally women seek medical assistance for violence related injuries only after leaving the batterer and not while living with him. About 75% of the calls for help were also made after separation.

In a report by Barbara Hart, April 1992, half of all homicides of female partners were committed after the victim had left the abuser. Here statistics paint a grim picture; the danger to a victim's life rises when she leaves her abuser. It also points to the rather desperate straits the woman is in after leaving. The domestic violence shelters and voluntary agencies only seem to be able to provide minimal help, and are rather unable to cope with the enormity of the danger that the victim is in. It is also worth noting that till about 10 to 15 years ago, there were only about 1,500 shelters for battered women in the United States. About the same period there was an increase in the number of domestic violence cases by about 117%, according to the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Going by the Florida Statistical Analysis Center, total domestic violence cases had gone down from 132,704 in 1996 to 120,386 in 2005. The decline was noted in 1998, but there was a slight increase in volume in 2004 to 2005, even though the rate showed a decrease. According to the Indiana Commission for Women, an estimated 876,340 women suffered violence at the hands of an intimate. Emergency shelters in Indiana served 3,713 victims in 2001, but denied service to 1,744 victims. According to data compiled by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, there were 691,710 incidents of violence committed by intimates against women.

Another tragic data noted was that more pregnant women died of domestic violence than pregnancy related emergencies. More babies are being born with birth defects that are directly related to the battering suffered by the mother while pregnant. A national survey of over 6,000 American families showed that 50% of men who assaulted their wives also assaulted the children.

Domestic violence also costs employers about 3 to 13 billion dollars a year. There is a huge loss of about 8 million days of work due to the victim's absences because of violence related issues. There is also the late-comings and loss of productivity even when present at the work desk due to stress and inability to cope.

These statistics are mere indications of a rampant affliction with dire consequences. The true picture of domestic violence is by far bleaker than what meets the eye.