Did you know?- A woman is physically abused every 9 seconds in the United States
- Seventy-three percent of the battered women seeking emergency medical services sustained their injuries after leaving the batterer.
- Findings by former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop revealed that domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 to 44. More common than automobile accidents, muggings and rapes combined.
- Women are ten times more likely than men to be victims of violent crime in intimate relationships.
- It is estimated that 52% of all female homicide victims are killed by their partners.
- Abusive husbands and lovers harass 74% of employed battered women at work, either in person or over the telephone causing 20% to lose their jobs.
- The average sentence for a woman who kills her mate is 15-20 years. For a man who kills his mate is 2-6 years.
- Women are most likely to be murdered when attempting to report abuse or to leave an abusive relationship.
What you can do if you are a victim of Domestic Violence
- You may file a criminal complaint with the District Attorney General (DA)
- You may request a protection order. A protection order may include the following:
- An order preventing the abuser from committing further domestic abuse against you.
- An order requiring the abuser to leave your household.
- An order preventing the abuser from harassing you or contacting you for any reason.
- An order giving you or the other parent custody of or visitation with your minor child or children.
- An order requiring the abuser to pay money to support you and the minor children if the abuser has a legal obligation to do so.
- An order preventing the abuser from stalking you.