Unsurprisingly, statistics concerningintimate partner violencevary widely from study to study and year to year.
This age pattern was observed among Black women as well.
Understanding Domestic Violence
Domestic violence comes up whenever there is apower imbalance in a relationship.
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It’s important to remember the victim of the abuse did nothing to cause it.
Abuse is always a choice made by the abuser.
The reasons behind the choice to abuse another person are complicated.
For many, it is the result ofjealousy, low self-esteem, or poorimpulse control.
Other people may have apersonality disorderor a mental health issue that causes them to be violent and controlling.
Others may be abusive and controlling because they witnessed these types of behaviors growing up.
Additionally, cohabitation may increase the likelihood that a woman will be victimized by her partner.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
This fear makes it extremely difficult for these women to get the help they need.
This may explain some of the under-reporting.
There are also unique challenges women of color face when it comes to reporting domestic violence.
Because of this, Black women are disproportionately more likely to die at the hands of an abuser.
That represents a rate of 2.85 per 100,000 compared to 1.03 per 100,000.
Their report expresses numbers in terms of victims per 1,000 people.
This shows an overall decline of 64% in intimate partner violence victimizations per 1,000 from 1994 to 2010.
But remember, the BJS figures reflect only cases in which someone has been arrested and convicted.
Less Violence or Fewer Reports?
Both these situations could skew the statistics for domestic violence.
Women of Color online grid.Domestic violence in communities of color.
Violence Policy Center.When men murder women: An analysis of 2018 homicide data.
U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.Intimate partner violence, 1993-2010.
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Reina AS, Lohman BJ, Maldonado MM.
2014;29(4):593-615. doi:10.1177/0886260513505214
U.S. Department of Justice.Family violence statistics.
