Sent: Wednesday, October 
Subject: Domestic Violence awareness Month




During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, our intention is to raise the awareness of staff around issues of Domestic Violence, and it's impact on our communities. To that end, we will continue to send out information to staff during the month about Domestic Violence.

The Prevalence of Domestic Violence - How severe a problem is Domestic
Violence in this country?

Consider some of the following national facts and figures;

(These Facts and Figures were obtained from the following sources;
The 1999 Commonwealth Fund Report; Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report "Intimate Partner Violence" 2000; Bureau of Justice Statistics 2000:"At a Glance"; USDOJ Report "Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences of Violence against Women: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey" 1998; The 1994 Commonwealth Fund Report "First Comprehensive National Health Survey of American Women Finds them at Significant Risk"; USDA Safety Health and Employee Welfare Division "Domestic Violence Awareness Handbook 2001"; AMA, Report of the US Surgeon General; The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Handbook entitled "The Problem"; Stark,E. et al, "Wife Abuse in the Medical Setting: An introduction for Health Care Personnel"; Johnson, H. "Risk Factors associated with Non-Lethal Violence Against Women by Marital Partners", 1995)

95% of reported victims of Domestic Violence are women whose perpetrators are or were their male partners

30% of all women murdered are killed by their husbands, former husbands or boyfriends. In contrast, just over 3% of male homicide victims were known to have been killed by their wives, former wives or girlfriends
In 1998, women accounted for 75% of the victims of intimate murders,
and about 85% of the victims of non-lethal intimate abuse

Every day, at least 3 women are murdered by their husbands or
boyfriends in this Country

31% of American women report being physically or sexually abused by a
husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives

26% of rapes and sexual assaults against women are committed by their
husbands, former husbands or boyfriends

In a wide range of studies reported between 1979-1996, researchers
have estimated that as many as 60% of American women will be abused in their
lifetime

For 24-30% of these women, the abuse will be on-going

Acts of Domestic Violence by husbands against their wives occurs in
28% of all marriages

76% of women who report they were raped and/or physically assaulted
since age 18 said that a current or former husband, cohabiting partner or
date committed the assault

Every 9 seconds a woman is beaten

Every 15 seconds the crime of battering occurs

Husbands and boyfriends severely assault as many as 4 million women
annually

Over half of all women abused by a marital partner have been abused in
ways that are potentially life threatening

Domestic Violence is the #1 cause of injury among women in America -
Greater than rapes, muggings and auto accidents combined

Domestic Violence is the #1 cause of birth defects and miscarriages in
America

Although divorced and separated women comprise only 7% of the
population of the US, they account for 75% of all battered women and report
being assaulted 14 times more often than women still living with a partner

Nearly 75% of women treated for medical emergencies received their
injuries after leaving their abusers


Further e-mail writings about Domestic Violence will cover such topics as; Vermont Statistics, DOC numbers of DV Offenders, Information about Domestic Violence Homicides, Services provided by Vermont Network Programs in 2000, Information about lethality factors, Child Witnessing of Domestic Violence and its effects, Myths about Domestic Violence, What you can do about Domestic Violence, and The Need for Coordinated Community Responses to address Domestic Violence, and resources around Domestic Violence Information.

If you have any questions, concerns or comments as a result of these writings, you may contact;

Jill G. Evans
Director of Domestic Violence, Women Offenders
    and Family Services
VTDOC
241-2286
jille@doc.state.vt.us












Jill G. Evans
Domestic Violence Services Chief
Vermont Department of Corrections
State Office Complex
103 South Main Street
Waterbury, Vermont  05671-1001
(802)241-2286
jille@doc.state.vt.us