Fast Facts Cost of Domestic Violence Domestic Violence Incidence among African Americans Reporting Violence to Law Enforcement Officials Quiz Affect of Domestic Violence in Children The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) indicates that in 1998 about 1 million violent crimes were committed in the U.S. against  women and men by their current or former spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends. Roughly 85% of these crimes (about 876,340) were against women.(1) Fast Facts Half of female victims of intimate partner violence reported a physical injury. About 4 in 10 of these victims sought professional medical treatment.(1) Women were victims of intimate partner violence at a rate of 5 times that of men (767 versus 146 per 100,000 persons, respectively).(1) As many as 324,000 pregnant women each year experience intimate partner violence. (2) Firearms were the major weapon type used in intimate partner homicides from 1981 to 1998.(3) Cost The health related costs of rape, physical assault, stalking, and homicide by intimate partners exceed $5.8 billion each year. Of this total, nearly $4.1 billion are for direct medical and mental health care services; productivity losses account for nearly $1.8 billion.(4) Domestic Violence in the African American Community IPV=Intimate Partner Violence African Americans were victimized by intimate partners at significantly higher rates than other races in 1993 and 1998.(1) African American females experienced intimate partner violence at a rate that was 35% higher than that of other races.(1) Nearly one-third of African American women experience IPV in their lifetimes compared with one-fourth of white women.(5) Back to Top Report of Violence to Law Enforcement Officials Most victims injured by an intimate partner did not report seeking professional medical treatment for their injuries.  About 6 in 10 female and male victims of IPV were injured but not treated.  About half of all victims of IPV reported the violence to law enforcement authorities.(1) Which of the following are associated with higher rates of intimate partner victimization? a) Divorced or separated b) Living in an urban area c) Earning low incomes d) All of the above Answer: d) all of the above. According to the U.S. Dept. of Justice, being African American; young; divorced or separated; earning lower incomes; and living in urban areas were all associated with higher than average rates of victimization between 1993 and 1998.(1)           Affect of Domestic Violence on Children Each year, thousands of American children witness intimate partner violence within their families. Witnessing violence is a risk factor for long-term physical and mental health problems, including alcohol and substance abuse, being a victim of abuse, and perpetrating intimate partner violence.(6) Witnessing intimate partner violence as a child or adolescent, or experiencing violence from caregivers as a child, increases one’s risk of both perpetrating intimate partner violence  and becoming a victim of intimate partner violence .(7) Back to Top References 1. Rennison C. Intimate Partner Violence, Special Report 1993–2000. Washington (DC): Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice; 2000. Publication No. NCJ178247. 2. Gazmararian JA, Petersen R, Spitz AM, Goodwin MM, Saltzman LE, Marks JS. Violence and reproductive health; current knowledge and future research directions. Maternal and Child Health Journal 2000;4(2):79–84. 3. Paulozzi LJ, Saltzman LA, Thompson MJ, Holmgreen P. Surveillance for homicide among intimate partners—United States, 1981–1998. CDC Surveillance Summaries 2001;50(SS-3):1–16. 4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Costs of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2003. Available on-line at http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/ipv_cost/ipv.htm 5. Tjaden P, Thoennes N. Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey. Report for grant 93-IJ-CX-0012, funded by the National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control. Washington (DC): NIJ; 2000. 6. Felitti V, Anda R, Nordenberg D, Williamson D, Spitz A, Edwards V, et al. Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 1998;14(4):245–58. 7. Straus MA, Gelles, RJ, editors. Physical Violence in American Families: Risk factors and adaptations to violence in 8,145 families. New Brunswick (NJ): Transaction Books; 1990     This research was supported by a National Library of Medicine (NLM) Publication Grant #5G08 LM07653-02 in support of the creation of a web site titled Factline: Tracking Health in Underserved Communities, www.factline.org. Saqi S. Maleque, MSPH, Researcher, Principal Investigator: Virginia Brennan, PhD.