This page features a combination of Harriet's House information and statistics related to domestic
abuse from the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Domestic violence is a crime that occurs between people in a relationship, whether it be parent/child, wife/husband, boyfriend/girlfriend, live-in or domestic partners, as well as former relationships (ex-husband/wife, ex-girlfriend/boyfriend, etc.) Domestic violence is a problem that affects every community across the country. It affects humans of all genders, cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, races, religions and relationship types. Domestic Violence is not a private matter, a couples problem, a domestic
"squabble" or a "fight." It is not a momentary loss of
temper or the abuse of alcohol and drugs. Violence is a choice the abuser makes. |
Domestic Violence is a deliberate pattern of abusive tactics used by a partner in an intimate relationship to maintain power and control over the other person. Most victims of domestic violence are women. In the United States, a woman is more likely to be assaulted, injured, raped or killed by a male partner than by any other type of assault. (Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report: Violence Against Women: Estimates from the Redesigned Survey, August 1995) Alabama reflects national statistics. In 1998, 83 percent of the victims of domestic
violence cases reported by state law enforcement agencies were females. For this reason,
female pronouns are used on this web site to refer to victims. |
Domestic Violence includes a wide range of abuse, including:
A recent national survey of 8,000 women found that women whose partners were jealous, controlling or verbally abusive were significantly more likely to report being raped, physically assaulted, and/or stalked by their partners. "Having a verbally abusive partner was the variable most likely to predict that a woman would be victimized by an intimate partner." (NVAW Survey, July 2000) |
Domestic violence is a crime. The state of Alabama passed new legislation in 2000 which names domestic violence as a separate crime in the criminal code and stiffens penalties for abusers. The Governor of Alabama has said to those who repeatedly abuse their families:"Get ready to serve your time." |
Domestic violence is still a hidden crime. Most domestic violence is not reported to the police. Only one-fourth of all physical assaults against women by intimates were reported to police, according to a national survey. "The majority of victims who did not report [domestic violence] thought the police would not or could not do anything for them." (NVAW Survey, July 2000) |
The percent of female murder victims killed by their intimate partners has
remained at about 30 percent since 1976. (Bureau of Justice Special Report: Intimate Partner Violence, May 2000) Domestic violence is damaging physically and emotionally. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between ages 15 and 44 in the United States - more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. (Uniform Crime Reports, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1991) Some 22 to 35 percent of women who visit medical emergency rooms are treated for injuries related to ongoing partner abuse. (David Adams, "Identifying the Assaultive Husband in Court: You be the Judge," Boston Bar Journal, 33-4, July/August 1989) Domestic violence becomes more dangerous--more frequent and more violent--over
time. Nearly half of men who beat their wives do so at least three times a year. (AMA Diagnostic & Treatment Guidelines on Domestic Violence, 1994) Domestic violence can lead to fatalities. In one study, 88 percent of victims of domestic violence fatalities had a documented
history of physical abuse. (Florida Governor's Task Force on Domestic and Sexual
Violence, Florida Mortality Review Project, 1997) |
Myth: Domestic violence does not affect many people. Facts: Myth: Battering is only a momentary loss of temper. Facts: Myth: Domestic violence only occurs in poor, urban areas. Facts: Myth: Domestic violence is just a push, slap or punch - it does not produce serious injuries. Facts: |