Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence Information and Resources

More than 10 million adults experience domestic violence annually. That equates to one every 3 seconds.
1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men experience sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by a partner in their lifetime.
1 in 2 female murder victims and 1 in 13 male murder victims are killed by their partners.
The presence of a gun in a domestic situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%.
Partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crimes
Women between the ages of 18-24 are most commonly abused by a partner
Only 34% of people who are injured by a partner receive medical attention
Missouri has the third-highest rate of people who have experienced domestic violence in the United States.
5 types of Abuse - Physical (inflicting injury), Sexual (coercing sexual contact without consent), Psychological (instilling fear), Emotional (undermining victims' sense of worth), and Economic (making victim financially dependent)

Listen without judging and don’t rush to provide a solution. Remember the victim is not responsible for someone else’s abusive or violent behavior.
Believe them! Let them know you support them and ask what you can do to help.
Support them. Let them know you care about them and let them know it isn’t their fault. Offer to go with them to talk to someone.
Help them to make their own decisions and get the resources they need rather than doing it for them.
Encourage them to contact a local program. This is where they can talk to a trained advocate, find safe shelter, and get the resources they need to break the cycle.
Maintain their confidentiality. Do not share this information with anyone else without the specific permission of the victim.
Understand that healing is a process that is different for each person. Express compassion, nonjudgmental support and acceptance.