October is Domestic Awareness Month

Here are some dangers, myths and facts about DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

• In the U.S. a woman is assaulted or beaten every 9 seconds. (NCADV National Coalition Against Domestic Violence)
• On a typical day, more than 20,000 calls are made to domestic violence hotlines.  (NCADV)
• If an abuser has a gun the victim’s risk of homicide increases 500%. (Domestic Violence Intervention Program)
• Domestic Violence does not discriminate, it happens to women and men, people from all sexual orientations, races, religions, income and education levels.
• Women are 70 times more likely to be killed in the 2 weeks after leaving an abusive relationship than at any other time during the relationship. (Domestic Violence Intervention Program)
• Partners often threaten to harm the victim’s children, immediate family, or pets if the victim tries to leave.  (Domestic Abuse Project)
• Financial abuse occurs in 90% of abusive relationships, examples of financial abuse include: restricting access to a spouse’s credit, draining assets, prohibiting a victim from working. (US News & World Report, “How To Stop Domestic Financial Abuse”)
• Each year, 10 million children are exposed to domestic violence – which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared a “serious, preventable public health problem”. (CDC)
• The single best predictor of children becoming either perpetrators or victims of domestic violence later in life is whether or not they grow up in a home where there is domestic violence.  (World Health Organization)
• The 3rd leading cause of homelessness among families is domestic violence.  (National Coalition for the Homeless)