Domestic Violence - Facts & Myths

Facts About Domestic Violence

  • Every 15 seconds in the U.S. a woman is beaten.
  • Domestic violence results in more injuries that require medical attention than rape, accidents and muggings combined.
  • Two in five women who are murdered are killed by their husbands.
  • At least 95 percent of all cases of partner abuse involve a man beating a woman.
  • Woman abuse happens in all classes and races. It occurs at every level of income and education.
  • Violence in the home usually becomes more frequent and severe over time. The abuser’s apologies do not mean the violence will not occur again.
  • Children who grow up in violent homes come to believe that violence is normal. They come to believe that it is an acceptable way to control someone else. The majority of adult violent prisoners were raised in violent homes.
  • Violence is often part of a pattern of threats, insults, insane jealousy, explosive temper, and attempts to isolate and overpower the woman.

Myths About Domestic Violence

  • A man's home is his castle. No one should interfere with the family.
    Battery is a crime! No one has the right to beat another person.
  • A woman who gets beaten brings it upon herself by nagging or provoking her spouse.
    People are beaten for reasons as ridiculous as: the dinner is cold; the TV was turned to the wrong channel; the baby was crying. Abusive people refuse to control their violent impulses. Even where the person may have reason to be angry, they have no right to express their anger violently.
  • A person who stays with an abuser after being beaten must like to be beaten.
    Being beaten hurts and no one likes it. There are many reasons why victims remain with abusers including their fear of further violence, the financial hardship of leaving, religious reasons, their emotional attachment to their partners, and their belief that families should stay together.