According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV):
- On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. This equates to more than 10 million women and men per year.
- One in four women and one in nine men experience intimate partner contact sexual violence, severe intimate partner physical violence, and/or intimate partner stalking. These experiences result in injuries, fear, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), over-use of victim services, contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, and other negative results.
- One in four women and one in seven men have been victims of severe physical violence, such as beating, burning, and/or choking, by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
- One in seven women and one in 18 men have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime to the point in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.
Domestic violence is an increasingly severe problem for people from all races, genders, and socio-economic classes. If you or someone you love is dealing with domestic violence in Florida, it’s critical that you contact the Sarasota domestic battery lawyers at the Fowler Law Group as soon as possible.
Specific Domestic Violence Trends
Despite increases in awareness, these alarming numbers are not getting better. For example, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline:
- There has been a 74% increase in the number of contacts indicating that firearms played a role in their abuse.
- There has been a 13% increase in the number of contacts related to immigration. consistent with a national trend among domestic and sexual violence service providers.
- There has been an 11% increase in contacts from persons who reported their abusive situation involved children.
- There has been a 13.7% increase in contacts related to attempts or threats of suicide used as coercion by the abuser.
Domestic Violence Trends Related to COVID-19
As if the COVID-19 pandemic weren’t bad enough in and of itself, an article at WebMD.com reports that data from a major hospital found a significant jump in intimate partner violence cases among patients, especially females, who sought emergency care during the COVID-19 pandemic’s first few weeks.
“This data confirms what we suspected,” according to the article. “Being confined to home for a period of time would increase the possibility [of] violence between intimate partners.” Furthermore, the article claims that the new study likely exposes “only the tip of the iceberg.”
Contact the Sarasota Domestic Battery Lawyers at the Fowler Law Group for More Information
The violence, hopelessness, and loneliness of domestic battery, intimidation, and other bullying tactics used by domestic abusers make domestic violence one of the worst experiences imaginable. If you or a loved one is caught up in the vicious cycle of domestic violence, let the Sarasota domestic battery lawyers at The Fowler Law Group help. Please contact us online.