Between 1 and 4 million women experience serious assault by an intimate partner each year.
Forty seven percent of men who beat their wives do so at least 3 times a year.
Nearly 1 in 3 adult women experience at least 1 physical assault by a partner during adulthood.
Only about one-seventh of all domestic assaults come to the attention of the police.
Each year, an estimated 3.3 million children witness their mothers or female caretakers being abused.
Young women between the ages of 16 – 24 in dating relationships experience the highest rate of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Twenty six percent of pregnant teens reported being physically abused by their boyfriends. About half of them said the battering began or intensified after the boyfriend learned of her pregnancy.
Requests for emergency shelter by homeless families with children increased in 68% of U.S. cities in 1999.
Fifty seven percent of homeless families identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness.
Two-thirds of women who receive public assistance have been victims of family violence.
A battered woman who is not a legal resident, or whose immigration status depends on her partner, is isolated by cultural dynamics which may prevent her from seeking assistance from the legal system. These factors contribute to the higher incidence of abuse among immigrant women.
While same-sex battering mirrors heterosexual battering, its victims receive fewer protections. Seven states define domestic violence in a way that excludes same-sex victims.
(info from http://www.stopfamilyviolence.org)
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