Violence against battered women and children may sharply escalate at the time of separation.
Women are most likely to be killed when attempting to either report abuse or leave the abuser.
"Women who leave their batterers are at a 75% greater risk of being killed by the batterer than those who stay."
Of all battered women seeking emergency medical services, 73% may do so after separation from the abuser.
Up to 75% of domestic assaults reported to police may be made after separation.
A woman's standard of living declines by as much as 73% in the first year following a divorce, while a man's standard of living increases 42%.
"Up to 50% of all homeless women and children in this country are fleeing domestic violence."
"Yet, there are nearly three times as many animal shelters in the United States as there are shelters for battered women."
Abusers withhold or destroy documentation such as birth certificates and immunization records, thus blocking or delaying the family's ability to receive housing assistance or welfare benefits.
Fathers who are violent use school records or children's attendance at school to track down their mother.
Many times people wrongly assume that domestic violence only happens to a certain group of people, the lower class. Nothing could be more false. Domestic violence affects millions of people from all walks of life, from the richest to the poorest. Many times people don't really want to see what's going on and it's too late to help those who are in real need of it. Fortunatley though, there are people out there to help break this cycle of violance and silence. Counselors at schools are there to help children. There are battered woman's shelters for women and children fleeing from their abusers.
