Spotlight on Criminal Justice: Observing National Domestic Violence Awareness Month – October

October was officially designated as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in 1989. Each year, an estimated 10 million men and women, at a rate of 20 people per minute, are physically abused by an intimate partner. Such incidents rose by 8 percent during pandemic lockdowns. Domestic violence hotlines across the United States currently receive 20,000 calls each day.

Also known as intimate partner violence (IPV), domestic violence involves a complex pattern of abusive behavior designed to gain or maintain power and control over another person. Subtle shifts in behavior, such as gradual isolation or increasing financial control, often occur and worsen over time. Certain behaviors, like stalking, are predictors of lethal violence. Between 50 and 75 percent of domestic violence homicides occur when or after a victim tries to leave their abuser, and homicide is the leading cause of death among pregnant women and women who have recently given birth.

Domestic violence is indiscriminate and can happen to anyone, anywhere—regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, intelligence or socioeconomic status. Domestic Violence Awareness Month aims to honor the victims of domestic violence, prevent violence by raising awareness of the warning signs, educate community members about the prevalence of domestic violence, and provide resources and treatment for survivors.  

Domestic Violence Defined

Any behavior used to manipulate, coerce, threaten, humiliate, isolate, frighten, blame or hurt a significant other is considered domestic violence. Behaviors like excessive jealousy, harassment and stalking can precede or accompany the physical, verbal, sexual, emotional, financial or technological violence a perpetrator uses to gain or maintain power over their victim. The various forms of abuse are referenced in the power and control wheel. In contrast, the equality wheel demonstrates the characteristics of a healthy, nonviolent relationship.

Dating violence, domestic violence and IPV are exceedingly common. Many people experience violence before age 18, and youth have the highest victimization rates of any age group. More than 61 million women and 53 million men have experienced psychological aggression, while 41 percent of women and 26 percent of men have experienced physical or sexual violence or stalking during their lifetime. One-third of all women and one-quarter of all men have experienced some form of physical violence from an intimate partner.

Intersectionality of Domestic Violence and the Legal System

Civil and criminal offenses associated with dating and IPV include, but are not limited to: harassment, terroristic threats, trespassing, stalking, simple assault, aggravated assault, burglary (also called breaking and entering), weapons offenses, recklessly endangering another person, sexual assault, strangulation, unlawful restraint, attempted murder, manslaughter or homicide. Legal definitions and penalties vary by state and statute.

IPV accounts for 15 percent of all violent crime, and 19 percent of domestic violence cases involve a weapon. Seventy-two percent of murder-suicides are intimate partner-related, with females accounting for 94 percent of victims. Cases of “suicide by cop” or law enforcement-assisted suicide also have high incidences of prior domestic violence, where the catalyst was the dissolution of a relationship.

Options for victims include civil processes like petitioning for a temporary or permanent protection from abuse order or restraining order and/or reporting the abuse to the police so that criminal charges can be considered. However, only half of all domestic violence incidents are reported to law enforcement. Shame, fear of not being believed, fear of retaliation, lack of resources, lack of confidence in professionals and impact on children are frequently cited reasons for not reporting violence. There is also evidence that the legal system does not adequately protect victims of violence and can actually retraumatize them.

The legal system often criminalizes and punishes victims and survivors, treating them as offenders first and victims second. In an effort to address the victim-offender overlap more effectively, several states have passed landmark legislation—such as New York’s Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act—to change the sentencing structure for victims convicted of crimes that stem from their abuse. Federal legislation like the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 provides critical fiscal, housing and legal assistance; alternatives to criminal responses; and prevention programming for survivors of violence.

Impact of Domestic Violence

The effects of IPV extend beyond the victim—family, friends, witnesses, co-workers and the community are also impacted. Victims have higher rates of depression and suicide, and only 34 percent receive medical care for their physical injuries. Victims lose an aggregate 8 million days of paid work each year, and between 21 and 60 percent of victims lose their jobs because of abuse. Seventy-eight percent of women killed by their abuser between 2003 and 2008 were killed at their place of work. Twenty percent of intimate partner homicide victims were bystanders, friends or family members who attempted to intervene.

Violence in the home translates to violence in the community. Studies have shown that the vast majority of male and female inmates experienced family violence in their childhood or adolescence. One in 15 children has been exposed to family violence—90 percent as eyewitnesses. Children who grow up in homes with violence suffer poorer academic performance, experience more physical and mental health issues and are more likely to end up in the juvenile or adult criminal legal system as victims or perpetrators of violence. Thus, reducing IPV and improving law enforcement responses (as accomplished in High Point, North Carolina) can enhance public safety overall.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “The lifetime economic cost associated with medical services for IPV-related injuries, lost productivity from paid work, criminal justice and other costs, is $3.6 trillion.” The social and emotional costs are incalculable.

Resources for Education, Prevention and Treatment

The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the CDC, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and others have partnered with federal agencies to raise awareness of domestic violence and provide comprehensive resources to prevent and support victims. The White House Gender Policy Council also released a national plan to address domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking and other forms of gender-based violence. A number of initiatives and campaigns exist to educate the public, honor victims and support survivors.  Local, state and national night vigils, walks and events take place to end victim silence. There are also statewide efforts to make criminal justice professionals more trauma-informed so that they can communicate and engage with victims and witnesses of violence more effectively.

Conclusion

Teen dating violence, domestic and intimate partner violence, stalking and aggression are all too common in the United States. While significant strides have been made since the 1970s and ‘80s, when these issues were viewed as “family” or “private” matters, the high rates of violence that persist today are extremely costly and often result in cyclical system involvement, catastrophic harm or death.

By acknowledging the prevalence and incidence of domestic violence, we can educate our youth to understand the characteristics of healthy, nonviolent relationships and to seek help if they are exposed to violence or have violent tendencies themselves. In doing so, we can support current victims and prevent future ones.

If you or someone you know is experiencing violence, help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year at the National Domestic Violence Hotline. There are more than 200 language interpreters available. Call 800-799-7233, text START to 88788 or visit thehotline.org for more information.