Domestic violence rarely appears in the recorded crime statistics because of a significant level of under-reporting. The following information comes from statistics that are available from research findings:
One in ten women have been victims of domestic violence in the past year.
25% of all violent crime reported to the Police is wife assault.
90% of women's petitions which cite cruelty as grounds for divorce contain evidence of violence.
Between 20-30% of murder victims knew their killer as spouse, cohabitant, lover, or former lover, and about 40% of all murders occur in domestic situations.
Violence occurs in between 10-30% of heterosexual relationships.
One in eight women have been forced by their husbands to have sex, and 60% have reluctantly agreed to have sex.
It is estimated that there are 3-4 million domestic violence incidents in London alone each year.
The Metropolitan Police receive nearly 1,500 calls per week from women suffering abuse in the home.
A West Yorkshire study found that one third of children present during an attack tried to protect their mother, and 50% of children witnessed the abuse of their mother and/or personally experienced violence.
On average between 16-30% of homelessness cases in London are the result of domestic violence.
A 1979 study in Scotland found that violence to female partners w as the second most common form of assault reported to the Police, comprising 25% of recorded assaults.
An estimated one third of social work cases involve domestic violence.
In 1989/90 5,700 women sought refuge space from London Women's Aid. There are only 2,500 refuge spaces in London.
In 1989/90 75,000 women approached the W omen's Aid National Helpline and Women's Aid Groups throughout England for advice and support services without actually being resident in a refuge.
In the year 1989/90 over 30,000 women and children were accommodated in refuges throughout England.
At any one time children make up two-thirds of the refuge population.
Seven years is the average length of time a woman suffers domestic abuse before leaving the abuser for good. However, the range runs from a few months to three to four decades.
59% of women returned home because of lack of suitable accommodation.
On average five agencies are contacted by women in an effort to gain help. The two agencies most able to meet women's needs for protection and accommodation, the Police and the Housing Department are regarded as least useful.
On average a woman is assaulted 35 times before seeking external help
Domestic violence is the most common and unrecognized killer of women in the U.S. It kills more women than auto accidents, muggings, and rapes combined.
Acts of domestic violence occur every 18 seconds in the U.S.
95% of all domestic violence victims are women and children.
Over 95% of spousal assaults are committed by men.
6 million American women are beaten each year by their husbands or boyfriends.
Women are much more likely to be assaulted by a male partnerthan by a stranger on the street.
Domestic violence occurs equally across all sectors of society. It knows no social, economic, racial or religious boundaries.
Acts of violence not only inflict physical injuries, but also have the potential to destroy a person's foundations of trust and safety.
