October: Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Everyday people are affected by domestic violence, but women are the majority of those who suffer from its dangerous grasp.

Here some basic stats:

It is estimated that nearly 1 million incidents of violence occur against a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend per year and three million women are physically abused by their husband or boyfriend per year.

While women are less likely than men to be victims of violent crimes overall, women are five to eight times more likely than men to be victimized by an intimate partner.

Male violence against women does much more damage than female violence against men; women are much more likely to be injured than men.

Women are much more likely than men to be killed by an intimate partner. In 2000, intimate partner homicides accounted for 33.5 percent of the murders of women and less than four percent of the murders of men.

Pregnant and recently pregnant women are more likely to be victims of homicide than to die of any other cause and evidence exists that a significant proportion of all female homicide victims are killed by their intimate partners.

For those who need to deal with domestic violence, you can call:1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

Speak up, speak out, don't be silent this month on this important issue that effects one out of every three women. Look for vigils, media coverage and consciousness-raising efforts in your community during the month of October.