Domestic Violence

Prevalence

Estimates of the prevalence of domestic violence vary for a number of reasons. The violent acts that are frequently considered domestic violence can range from psychological abuse to sexual abuse. Psychological abuse typically refers to such things as insulting, swearing, or yelling at one's partner; stomping out of a room; saying something to spite one's partner; calling one's partner names; destroying something that belongs to one's partner; or threatening to hit a partner or throw something at him or her. Moderate levels of physical abuse can include actually throwing objects, twisting a partner's arm or hair, pushing, shoving, grabbing, or slapping. Severe physical abuse is normally characterized by use of a knife or gun, hitting with something that could hurt, choking, slamming against a wall, striking with a closed fist, kicking, or sexually assaulting a partner. The prevalence of domestic violence generally increases when less severe acts are included in the definition and decreases when only the most severe forms of domestic violence are included. Prevalence estimates also can vary because of the people who are sampled. Domestic violence occurs more frequently in couples who are unsatisfied in the irrelationship, couples who seek counseling, and among women seeking assistance at domestic violence shelters. Estimates also will vary depending on whether they are based on self-reports given over the phone, offered anonymously in a research setting, or based on actual crime statistics.

As a result, estimates of the prevalence of domestic violence vary across different groups. About one quarter of women report experiencing some form of physical or sexual violence at the hands of a romantic partner at least once in their lifetime. Probably about 10% of women will experience some form of severe violence, and women are more likely to be murdered by an intimate partner than by anyone else. Furthermore, more than 10% of women who are married or cohabiting report being physically abused annually, approximately 1 million each year. Of course, domestic violence is not only confined to married or cohabiting couples. The majority of high school and college students report being involved in an aggressive or violent relationship. Domestic violence also is not only confined to male-female relationships. Domestic violence occurs in heterosexual couples and homosexual couples, and evidence is increasingly suggesting that women also perpetrate domestic violence against men. Although domestic violence is not confined to heterosexual couples where the man is the perpetrator and the woman is the victim, most of the research focuses on these types of relationships. As a result, this discussion also primarily focuses on the male perpetration of domestic violence in heterosexual relationships unless expressly noted otherwise.

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