|Domestic Violence Awareness Month |
|Domestic violence is a widespread problem that affects families, children and communities across North Carolina and the United States. It is estimated that one in four women will be a victim of domestic violence at some point during her lifetime. During the 2009-2010 fiscal year 33,546 domestic violence protective orders were filed in North Carolina’s state courts, and 100 domestic violence homicides were filed in 2009. The Center for Child and Family Health reports that 6,000 to 8,000 children reside in domestic violence shelters each year in North Carolina. The national statistics provided by the Family Violence Prevention Fund are staggering: |
On average more than three women a day are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in the United States.
15.5 million children in the United States live in families in which partner violence occurred at least once in the past year, and seven million children live in families in which severe partner violence occurred.
Physical abuse during childhood increases the risk of future victimization among women and the risk of future perpetration of abuse by men more than two-fold.
Homicide is a leading cause of traumatic death for pregnant and postpartum women in the United States, accounting for 31 percent of maternal injury deaths.
Adolescent girls in physically abusive relationships were three times more likely to become pregnant than non-abused girls.
Women who have experienced domestic violence are 80 percent more likely to have a stroke, 70 percent more likely to have heart disease, 60 percent more likely to have asthma and 70 percent more likely to drink heavily than women who have not experienced intimate partner violence.
For additional facts regarding domestic violence, please visit the Family Violence Prevention Fund
If you would like to learn more or get involved in this important issue, please visit the websites listed below. Please note that there are also numerous resources available online that can be accessed through an internet search.
The N.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence website provides information on domestic violence, including safety planning for domestic violence victims, a list of domestic violence agencies that serve each county in the state, and events taking place in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness month.
Interact of Wake County is our local domestic violence agency and provides assistance and resources to victims of domestic violence. Please see the website for additional information and a list of events scheduled in Wake County.
For more information on the effects of domestic violence on children and how to respond to their needs, you can download “The Needs of Children in Domestic Violence Shelters” toolkit (created by The Center for Child and Family Health).
|Publish Date: 10/13/2010||