Awareness Month Domestic Violence

..Willful intimidation, physcial assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior perpetrated by an intimate partner against another. --- National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Domestic Violence Defined….

National observance began in Awareness Month connects battered women advocates and others working to end violence against women and children. Domestic Violence Awareness..

An act of violence occurs every 18 seconds in the United States. Fact :

One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. Females who are years of age are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence. Fact:

Men are the victim of 2.9 million intimate partner related assaults. In our country, 1 in 33 men reported experiencing an attempted or completed rape at some time in their life. Women and men in same-sex relationships experience domestic violence at the same rates as heterosexual women. Fact :

One in five teens in a serious relationship reports having been hit, slapped, and/or pushed by a partner. Fourteen (14) percent of teens report their boyfriend or girlfriend threatened to harm them or themselves to avoid a break up. Date rape accounts for 70% of sexual assaults by adolescent and college age women. Fact:

From 2003 through 2012, at least 1,200 Georgia citizens lost their lives due to domestic violence. Georgia was recently ranked 10 th in the nation for its rate of men killing women. In 18% of the cases studied, children witnessed the domestic violence killing. Firearms were the cause of death in 76% of the domestic violence fatalities between 2004 and Georgia Commission on Family Violence, Domestic Violence in Georgia (2013). Fact : Domestic Violence in Georgia

Transcends race, age, and socioeconomic boundaries Victims of domestic violence are diverse in nature. They are: Educated Uneducated Poor Middle class Wealthy From every ethnic origin Domestic Violence:

Three million children witness domestic violence every year. Children are present during 80% of assaults against their mothers. Witnessing violence between ones parents or caretakers is the strongest risk factor of transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next. Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults. 30% to 60% of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abuse children in the household. Children Exposed to Domestic Violence

Seems afraid and anxious to please their partner Goes along with everything partner says and does Checks in often with partner to report where they are and what they are doing Receives frequent harassing phone calls from their partner Talks about their partners temper, jealousy, and possessiveness Ways to spot potential abuse..

Have frequent injuries with excuses of accidents Frequently misses work, school, or social occasions without explanation Dresses in clothing designed to hide bruises and/or scars (i.e. wears sunglasses inside) Suffers from low self-esteem, depressed, anxious suicidal and/or demonstrates major personality changes More ways to spot potential abuse..

Domestic violence can hurt children emotionally and physically. Talking through a safety plan is a way to reduce their exposure, protect from harm, get help and stay staff. Teach them the warning signs. Trying to stop the violence can be dangerous for them, and they cannot stop it. Teach them how to call 911 and think about choosing a code word for older children signaling them to go get help. Talk with your children and plan together how they can get safe. Is there a room where they can safely call 911? Is there a neighbors house they can go to? Make sure this plan is age appropriate. Let children know that it is okay if they cannot follow through with the safety plan since it is not always possible. Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Talking to Your Children About Domestic Violence. How you can Help…. Safety Planning with Children

Biggest help is to speak up; Just do not ignore it! Talk to the person and let them know that you care If you or someone you know is being abused, call the toll free hotlines for a confidential place to get help and find resources: The National Domestic Violence Hotline at The National Sexual Assault Hotline at The National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline at The Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence at Haven How you can Help….

Bureau of Justice Statistics-Crime victimization survey Center for Disease Control and Prevention- Violence Prevention Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence-Resource National Coalition of Against Domestic Violence References: