October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We show support by wearing purple or sharing posts on social media. All of us can do something to raise awareness. Domestic violence rates are high not just for our state of Arkansas, but nationally. Let’s take a look at some statistics and important information about Domestic Abuse.
Abuse can come in many forms. Abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual, or even financial. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence; one in four women and one in ten men experience sexual violence, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime. Approximately one in five female victims and one in 20 male victims need medical care.
There was an analysis of homicide data for 2020 and Arkansas ranked fourth in the United States for women murdered by men. The majority of these were wives, ex-wives, girlfriends, etc of the offenders.
Arkansas statistics on domestic violence is really disheartening:
- 8% of women experienced intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking.
- 8% of men experienced the same abuse as the women.
- During 2019, there were 453 victims served by domestic violence shelters and programs in one day. 38 requests for services were unmet due to lack of resources.
- As of December 30, 2019, Arkansas had submitted 3,766 misdemeanor domestic violence records and five active protective orders in the NICS Index.
On a typical day, local domestic violence hotlines receive around 19,159 calls which is around 13 calls every minute.
As you can see domestic violence doesn’t discriminate: individuals of all races, ages, ethnicities, or economic backgrounds suffer. It affects all different backgrounds. We need to educate ourselves so we can help this national problem. By educating ourselves on domestic violence, we could possibly spot signs of abuse and be the person who offered help to someone from a bad situation. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to reach out.
If you or someone you know needs help call The Safe Place Hotline at 1-888-554-2501. Help lines are open 24/7!
https://news.uark.edu/articles/62094/october-marks-domestic-violence-awareness-month
https://www.womenscenteryfs.org/index.php/get-info/domestic-violence
https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2497/ncadv_arkansas_fact_sheet_2020.pdf
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