One out of every three women will
experience domestic violence during her lifetime. In the United
States, a woman is more likely
to be assaulted, injured, raped, or killed by an intimate partner,
relative, acquaintance, or friend than any other type of assailant.
Every fifteen seconds a woman is beaten.
Statewide, over 132,000 women and children are assaulted each
year, with many others unreported. Annually, over 4,800 women and
6,000 children and youth are provided emergency shelter in Minnesota.
Women staying in abusive relationships often see themselves as
having few alternatives as many typically face escalating violence,
live in continual fear of their partners, and often have limited
financial resources to leave the relationship. An atmosphere of
blame, self-doubt, terror, and rage erodes their self-esteem, drains
away their motivation, and destroys their hope.
Domestic violence is not a private family matter, it is a crime
that affects society as a whole. Domestic violence-related crimes
cost our nation almost $6 billion dollars annually. Moreover, studies
show that 50% of men who frequently assault their wives also frequently
assault their children. Children who witness or are victims of
domestic violence suffer long-term effects, including depression,
anxiety, and violence against peers.
A 1998 Minnesota Student Survey indicated that by the 6th grade,
23% of children had experienced an adult physically hurting another
family member, and 22% reported that they had been physically hurt.
Similarly, within the Anoka-Hennepin School District, 22% of the
children report having witnessed and/or are victims of physical
abuse within their homes. In measuring exposure to and experience
of violence, adolescent girls are an especially vulnerable and
underserved population. The 1998 Minnesota Student Survey indicated
that 16% of 9th and 12th graders report having been victims of
dating violence and 31% have witnessed and/or experienced violence
in their homes. This same identified group from the Anoka-Hennepin
School District indicated that 21% have been victims of violence
on a date, and 36% report they have witnessed and/or experienced
violence within their homes.
