CIVIL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Though a couple may not be considering the thought of ending their marriage, they may be facing very real issues that also involve the law. Civil domestic violence is one such area. Oftentimes, the violence is long-term, affecting the feeling of safety each spouse has.

FACTS AND STATISTICS ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

DoSomething.org, an organization that advocates for young people and social change, compiled 11 key facts about domestic violence that may surprise you:

1. Domestic violence is a pattern of controlling behaviors that one partner uses to get power over the other, including physical violence or threat of physical violence to get control, emotional or mental abuse and sexual abuse.

2. 85% of domestic violence victims are women.

3. 1/4 of women worldwide will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Women between the ages of 20 to 24 are at greatest risk of becoming victims of domestic violence.

4. Domestic violence is most likely to take place between 6 pm and 6 am.

5. The costs of domestic violence amount to more than $37 billion a year in law enforcement involvement, legal work, medical and mental health treatment, and lost productivity at companies.

6. As many as 324,000 women each year experience intimate partner violence during their pregnancy.

7. Boys who witness domestic violence are two times as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults.

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

9. 1/2 of all homeless women and children in the U.S. are fleeing from domestic violence.

10. In the US, a woman is assaulted or beaten every nine seconds.

11. In 60% to 80% of intimate partner homicides, no matter which partner was killed, the man physically abused the woman before the murder.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS NOT ALWAYS PHYSICAL

There is a widespread misconception that domestic violence must be physical violence. In fact, abuse can be emotional, psychological, verbal, and sexual — and it often escalates quickly. An abuser may initially be charismatic and caring before slowly starting to wear away at your self-esteem by criticizing you, implying you simply aren't good enough, and isolating you from family and friends. 

Then, it's harder to leave when verbal abuse begins or when it segues into physical abuse. Abusers may also push your sexual boundaries by coercing, pressuring, threatening, or intimidating you into unwanted sexual activity, or even by sexually assaulting you. And reproductive coercion — tampering with your birth control or pressuring you to get pregnant — is another common abuse tactic, with 1 in 3 women in abusive relationships also experiencing reproductive abuse.

All of these conditions still apply in a marriage, which is an unfortunate fact. Many victims fail to see or accept the abuse because they cannot comprehend that such treatment would come from their own spouse. If any of the above situations apply to you and you don’t know where to turn, reach out to a compassionate, experienced attorney who can help you objectively evaluate your situation and find a solution that’s in your best interest.