Domestic Violence

• Section 1: Why do people stay in abusive relationships?
• Section 2: Statistics on Domestic Violence
• Section 3: Online Domestic Violence Resources

A person looking at an abusive relationship from the outside tends to ask one major question: why does he/she stay? Although the idea of walking away from a relationship seems easy enough, it isn’t for a victim of domestic violence. Here are a few common reasons that victims of domestic violence stay.

FEAR - Fear is a common emotion expressed in an abusive relationship. If attempts are made to remove themselves from that situation, the retaliation from their abuser can be horrible. So, instead of trying to change things and risk being hurt more, the only option left is to stay.

ISOLATION - An important tactic used by an abuser is isolation. Turning the victim against their friends and/or family makes them an easier target. If the victim has no one to turn to for help, then their only option is to stay.

ECONOMIC DEPENDENCE - Quite often, the abuser is the primary money maker, leaving the victim without a means of financial dependence. Leaving is near impossible if there is no money to fund that escape, so the victim’s only option is to stay.

FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY OF THE ABUSE - The victim knows how to fuel an attack, and they also know how to help prevent making the attack worse then it has to be. If the victim knows that showing signs of a potential departure would cause an attack on the part of their abuser, then their only option is to stay.

CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES - If a child is raised in an abusive environment, they are more likely to have tolerance of that behavior then someone who hasn’t. Children that were raised to believe in domestic violence as a means of resolution, they will learn that domestic violence is a means of resolution in general. Children in violent households are equally more likely to become abusers, and to allow themselves to become abused.

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• Violence by an intimate accounts for about 21% of violent crime experienced by women and about 2% of the violence experienced by men.
• Husbands and boyfriends commit 13,000 acts of violence against women in the work place every year.
• Nearly 2 in 3 female victims of violence were related to or knew their attacker.
• On average each year, women experienced 572,032 violent victimization's at the hands of an intimate, and 48,983 incidents committed against men.
• Men and women who have witnessed their parents' domestic violence are three times more likely to abuse their own wives than children of non violent parents, with the sons of the most violent parents being 1000 times more likely to become wife beaters.
• 50% of the men who frequently assaulted their wives also frequently abused their children.
• From 1983 to 1991, the number of domestic violence incidences reported increased by 117%
• 22% of divorces in middle-class families are caused by violence in the home.
• 25% of workplace problems, such as absenteeism, lower productivity, and excessive use of health benefits are due to family violence.

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National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Breaking the Cycle Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Seminars

Family Violence Prevention Fund A wealth of information about family violence and spousal abuse.

Family Violence Awareness Devoted to helping end all forms of family violence and to providing information about services that are available to families that are in need of assistance.

Safe Horizon Domestic Violence Shelter Tour and Information

KIDSRIGHTS' Domestic Violence Support Center Includes articles, the latest news, Web sites of organizations focused on domestic violence, as well as other facts and misconceptions.

Additional Resources...

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