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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DATA SHEET
Battering
is the major cause of injury to
women, resulting in more injuries
than auto accidents, muggings and
rapes combined. An act of adult domestic violence occurs every 15 seconds, more
frequently than any other crime in the U.S. In 1995, the New York State Division of
Criminal Justice Services received 87,591 police reports of family offence
(including spouse and child abuse). An
adult female was the victim in 59% of these offences.
One-half
of all violent crimes committed by relatives involve spouses and ex-spouses. Three
in four attacks involve persons who are divorced or separated. Almost one in five reported domestic violence assaults
involves the use of a weapon. Thirty percent of women murdered in the U.S. in 1992
were murdered by a husband or boy friend. His translates into the death of four women per day at the hands of male
partners. One in five women
victimized by their spouse or ex-spouse reported that they had been a victim of
a series of at least three assaults in the last six months. Research suggests
that as many as 74% of working battered women are harassed by their abusive
partners on the job and, of them, each year, 45% miss at least 18 days of work;
56% are late for work on at least 60 days; and 28% leave early on at least 60
days. Another study found that 20% of working battered women lose their jobs
altogether. All information above was found on the website for the New York State
Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence.
www.opdv.state.ny.us
The
New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence was created as an
independent statutory state agency through the passage of Chapter 463 of the
Laws of 1992. The goals of OPDV are:
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to provide direction to the Governor and the
Legislature on statewide domestic violence policy and legislation;
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to act as an advocate for domestic violence
services and victims;
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to promote and facilitate interagency cooperation
among state agencies and interdepartmental cooperation between different levels
of government in the state in the delivery and/or funding of services;
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to promote effective cross-systems' responses to
domestic violence through centralized training, technical assistance and policy
development and implementation; and
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to conduct statewide community outreach and
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