October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Domestic violence is a national and international problem. We read of reported cases of domestic abuse every day, but there are hundreds of cases that go unreported, and the people involved need your help in many ways.
If you know someone who is possibly in an abusive relationship, get them to a counselor. They may need help to develop confidence to leave the relationship they are in. Most people need to have a plan to leave an abusive relationship for good. If there is no plan, many return to the relationship, believing that they have no alternative.
There is not just one socio-economic class of people that this affects. Rich and poor, educated and uneducated, young and old, domestic violence can be part of a relationship and there may be no signs that outsiders see.
The American Bar Association and the Department of Justice provide the following statistics about domestic violence:
- About 25 percent of women and 7.6 percent of men are raped or physically assaulted by their spouse, partner, or dating partner in their lifetime.
- Nearly 1.3 million women and about 835,000 men are assaulted by their partner every year in the United States.
The following statistics were provided by the Safe Horizon Organization:
- Women between the ages of 20 and 24 are the most likely to become victims of domestic violence.
- 1 in 3 women killed by homicide are murdered by their current or former partner.
- 3 million children in the United States witness domestic violence every year.
- 25% of now homeless and former heads of households in New York City were the victim of domestic violence.
Source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/10/prweb10041870.htm
Who to Call if You’re a Victim:
If you’re a victim, don’t wait. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE (7233). You can learn more about this hotline at domestic-violence.laws.com , or you can visit thehotline.org.
