Domestic Violence in the United States

Alcohol, Drugs, and Sexual Assault Play a Role in Domestic Violence

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has developed a program in which their mission is to promote the safety of women and families, all while increasing the effectiveness in how the justice system responds to such violent domestic crimes.

Domestic violence, also referred to as intimate partner violence, is physical, sexual, or psychological harm by a current or former intimate partner. It can occur between heterosexual or same-sex couples. Although men undoubtedly experience violence, approximately 1.3 million women are physically assaulted by an intimate partner every year in the United States, compared to 835,000 men. The most shocking statistic is that intimate partner homicides make up approximately 40-50% of all murders of women in our country, and in 70-80% of those homicides, the man had a history of abusing the woman before the murder.

So why is domestic violence so prevalent? The NIJ has found several causes and correlations to explain the rate of domestic violence in the United States. While not surprising, there is a significant relationship between alcohol and drug use in male perpetrators, with more than two-thirds of male homicide and attempted homicide offenders who were under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both during the crime. The study also found that the precipitating factor in 45 percent of the murders of women by their male partner was the woman’s attempt to leave. Other factors leading to violence against intimate partners and children are poverty, a history of sexual abuse as adolescents, witnessing violence as a child, and having children before the age of 21.

The NIJ, through their research, has found several methods that have reduced domestic violence. For example, protection orders have reduced the recidivism rate when the order is specific to the victim’s needs and enforced through swift prosecution and significant sanctions for any violation. Mandatory arrests, firearm confiscation and firearm disqualification, shelters, and public awareness have also led to lower instances of domestic violence. To enhance and improve the healthcare that women victims receive, the study found that the introduction of a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) unit into hospitals has significantly benefited victims of sexual abuse. Not only do these units provide health benefits, but they have also provided improvements in the quality of forensic evidence, which has led to an increase in suspect identification and successful prosecutions. Although domestic violence is still prevalent, some of these methods have helped to intervene.

False accusations of rape and domestic violence, however, do occur and often prevent actual victims from coming forward. While it is difficult to assess the prevalence of false claims, the last study done by the FBI found that approximately 8% of all accusations turned out to be “unfounded.” While false allegations greatly impact true victims, they can also have horrible consequences for those wrongly accused, such as costly legal fees, embarrassment and damage to their reputation, and even physical violence or death from the “victim’s” friends and family as revenge.

*For more information, visit the National Institute of Justice’s website at: NIJ Domestic Violence