Every 9 seconds in the U.S., a woman is assaulted or beaten by an intimate partner. 

Source: *Domestic Violence Statistics. Domestic Violence Statistics - Let’s put a stop to Domestic Violence and Abuse. (2018, April 29). https://domesticviolencestatistics.org/domestic-violence-statistics/?utm_source=chatgpt.com#google_vignette

On average, 3 women are murdered each day in the United States alone by a current or former intimate partner.

Families, S. for. (2024, October 24). The silent epidemic of femicide in the United States. Sanctuary For Families. https://sanctuaryforfamilies.org/femicide-epidemic/ 

1 in 3 women globally about (30%) of women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.

1 in 10 men aged 18 and older in the US experience rape, physical violence, and/or stalking.

1- World Health Organization. (n.d.). Violence against women. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women#:~:text=Key%20facts,violence%20by%20their%20intimate%20partner. 

2-Domestic Violence Statistics. The Hotline. (2023, July 4). https://www.thehotline.org/stakeholders/domestic-violence-statistics/ 

• About 15 million children in the U.S. witness domestic violence each year.

• 30% to 60% of intimate partner violence perpetrators also abuse children in the household.

• One study found that children exposed to violence in the home were 15 times more likely to be physically and/or sexually assaulted than the national average.

• Children exposed to maternal intimate partner violence are significantly more likely to have school health issues, such as visits to the school nurse for social/emotional problems (RR ~2.2), being sent home from school (RR ~1.6), or needing speech pathology referrals (RR ~7.5), compared to non‑exposed peers. 

• Exposure to family/domestic violence correlates with lower academic achievement in adolescents in multiple studies across countries; many studies show direct negative effects on grades, absenteeism, learning ability. 

https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/213503.pdf

http://www.unicef.org/protection/files/BehindClosedDoors.pdf

Academic and school health issues among children exposed to maternal intimate partner abuse | intimate partner violence | jama pediatrics | jama network. (n.d.-b). https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/203438 

JW;, S. M. L.-M. M. (n.d.-a). Effects of family violence exposure on adolescent academic achievement: A systematic review. Trauma, violence & abuse. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31960757/ 

Domestic Violence Statistics. SafeHomes Domestic Violence Center. (2025, August 4). https://safehomesdv.org/about/domestic-violence-statistics/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

• All survivors are 3 times as likely to meet the criteria for PTSD.

Trauma That Echoes Into Adulthood

• Children and adolescents living with domestic violence are at increased risk of emotional, behavioral, developmental problems (e.g. anxiety, depression, PTSD) as well as being more likely to experience additional adversities. 

• Systematic review evidence: children exposed to DV are more likely to show internalizing (e.g. fear, withdrawal) and externalizing (e.g. aggression, delinquency) behavior problems. 

What It Costs Every One of Us

• The lifetime economic burden of intimate partner violence (IPV) among U.S. adults is estimated at $103,767 per female victim and $23,414 per male victim, totaling nearly $3.6 trillion (2014 USD) across all victims over their lifetimes. Costs include medical, lost productivity, criminal justice, etc.

Sources: Fedovskiy, K., Higgins, S., Paranjape, A. (2008). Intimate partner violence: How does it impactmajor depressive disorder and post traumatic stress disorder among immigrant Latinas? Journalof Immigrant and Minority Health, 10(1), 45-51.

S;, H. S. H. (n.d.). The impact of exposure to domestic violence on children and young people: A review of the literature. Child abuse & neglect. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18752848/

Graboys, S. (2024, July 3). The impacts of domestic and dating violence on children. CAWC. https://www.cawc.org/news/the-impacts-of-domestic-and-dating-violence-on-children/

The first place many victims turn after experiencing abuse is the church.

However, they are not always met with informed or trained help, and often this can do more damage than good.

This lack of knowledge can even cause something called secondary traumatization. This happens when a victim reaches out for help but instead her claims are either minimized or she is blamed, creating more trauma. This trauma has even been noted by victims as being as bad or worse than the original abuse.

According to Lifeway research, an astounding 47% of pastors say they don’t know if anyone in their congregation has been a victim of domestic violence in the past 3 years.

And 40% of pastors say they rarely or never address domestic violence publicly; another ~22% say they do so but only once a year.