In the United States, October is the National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  As part of our own mission to help families in crisis, the Law Office of Erika A. Williams is publishing this 4-part series on domestic violence to shed light on all forms of domestic violence; the ways that it shows up in families’ lives; and, what you can do to keep yourself, your family, and your loved ones safe.

Domestic Violence: You Aren’t Alone

2020 has been a year of a lot of trauma and crises for a great many people and families. While trying to remain safer at home, many individuals found themselves in even greater danger. Behind closed doors was an even bigger monster than the one outside and just as deadly.  Many people have found themselves suffering from domestic violence.

The thing about it is, there are a lot of misconceptions about domestic violence. You would think that with a problem that affects over 10 million men, women, and children each year, there would be a better term for it. Sadly, though, there isn’t.

Troubling Statistics:

Before I get into debunking some of the misconceptions about domestic violence, it’s important to see how many people it really affects, what those people look like, and what the impact of domestic violence is.

• On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States.
• Sources cite 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence (e.g. beating, burning, strangling) by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
• As many as 1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90% of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence.
• While underreported, as many as 1 in 4 men have been physically abused (slapped, pushed, shoved) by an intimate partner, and 1 in 7 men have been severely physically abused (hit with a fist or hard object, kicked, slammed against something, choked, burned, etc.) by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime.
• It’s estimated that at least 1 in 7 children in the US has experienced child abuse and/or neglect in the past year.
• Approximately 1 in 10 Americans aged 60 and older have experienced some form of elder abuse.
• One study estimated that only 1 in 14 cases of elder abuse are reported to authorities.
• An estimated 13.5% of older adults have suffered emotional abuse since the age of 60.

The Economic Impact Is Also Troubling:

• The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $8.3 billion per year.
• Victims of intimate partner violence lose a total of 8.0 million days of paid work each year.
• Between 21-60% of victims of intimate partner violence lose their jobs due to reasons stemming from the abuse.
• Victims of elder financial abuse lost an estimated $2.9 billion in 2011.

Join us for the next post in this 4-part series, as we clarify what domestic violence actually is.

If You Need Help NOW:

If you are in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1.  For anonymous, confidential help, 24/7, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY).

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, but don’t know what your legal options are, call the Law Office of Erika A. Williams at (855) 972-1644  or visit our Contact page to schedule a consultation or case evaluation.

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