Facts and Stats 2008

General Information:

- 1 in every 4 women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. (National Violence Against Women Survey, 2000)

- 1 in 4 Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) people are battered by a partner at some point in their life. (U.S. Department of Justice, 2005)

Connecting the dots between Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Rape:

- In a nationally representative survey, the first rape experience of female victims was reported to be by perpetrators who were intimate partners (30.4%), family members (23.7%), and acquaintances (20%). (Violence and Victims Survey, 2007)

- In the first rape experience of male victims, perpetrators were reported to be acquaintances (32.3%), family members (17.7%), friends (17.6%), and intimate partners (15.9%). (Violence and Victims Survey, 2007)

Domestic Violence Homicide in MA:

- The year 2007 marked the highest rate of domestic violence homicides in MA in the past 15 years: 55 deaths occurred. As a result, 25 children were left without one or both parents. (Jane Doe, Inc.)

Economic Impact/Health Care:

- In the U.S., the cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $5.8 billion each year, $4.1 billion of which is for direct medical and mental health services. (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2003)

- Victims of intimate partner violence lost almost 8 million days of paid work because of the violence perpetrated against them by current or former husbands, boyfriends and dates. This loss is the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs and almost 5.6 million days of household productivity as a result of the violence. (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2003)

GLBTQ:

- An overwhelming number of GLBT victims (57%) become homeless due to abuse, with a large number (18%) reporting that they lose everything. (GLBT Domestic Violence Coalition and Jane Doe, Inc., 2005)

Domestic Violence Among Teens:

- During the 12 months before the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 9.9% of students nationwide and 11% of high school students in MA reported being shoved, hit, slapped, physically hurt on purpose or forced into any sexual activity by their boyfriend or girlfriend. (National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2007)

- Fourteen percent (14%) of high school students reported that they had bullied or pushed someone around during the previous 12 months. The percentage of boys who reported this sort of behavior was twice that of girls (18% vs. 9%). In 2007, 22% of students reported having been the victim of bullying. (Massachusetts Youth Health Survey, 2007)