Domestic Violence FAQ's

QUESTION: Is there very much family violence in the United States?

ANSWER: This is difficult to answer since violence occurs behind closed doors. However, a national random sample of households (Strauss, Steinmetz, 1980) showed that almost 4% of American families experienced severe physical violence of a degree that had the statistical probability of inflicting injury or death upon the victim (stabbed, gun used, beat up, punched). In 1980 that figure equaled over two million persons per year. Current data show four million victims per year.

However, if more common forms of violence are considered, such as slapping, scratching, punching, and shoving, then the estimate is 26% of American households experience this (Richard Gelles, 1974). Such violence often accounts for 50% of calls to police on late-night shifts.

In Santa Barbara, there are around 150 domestic violence calls to police EACH MONTH.

QUESTION: Is this violence "really" serious?

ANSWER: Information from the National Victimization Survey indicates that assault by a family member is more likely to cause injury than assault by a stranger:

• 23% of stranger assaults involved injury to victim, while 57% of spousal assaults involve such injury.
• 7% of stranger assaults require medical attention, while 24% of spousal assaults require such attention.

Information from 256 women who contacted Santa Barbara's Shelter Services for Women showed women's injuries included: black eyes, bruises, broken teeth, cracked ribs, broken nose, fractured jaw and two women had miscarriages due to violence.

QUESTION: Does a "marriage license" lead to violence?

ANSWER: While it is common to hear that a "marriage license is a hitting license," having or not having a marriage license is no protection against violence.

Information from 139 women who came to Shelter Services for Women 72% married; 14% live-in but not married; 6% separated or divorced.

QUESTION: Do battered women have a lot of kids?

ANSWER: Here again there is a common stereotype that battered women have many children. Information from women residing in Shelter Services for Women concluded that 79% had children, 21% did not. Of those women who had children, the average was 1-2 children per woman. The stereotype of a woman coming into the Shelter with 6 or 7 children does not hold.

QUESTION: Does violence only happen among poor people or among persons of a specified race?

ANSWER: Domestic violence is not a class issue or an economic issue. It cuts across all people in equal representation to the population:

• Of the women who have resided in the Shelter: 63% were Caucasian, 25% were Latina, 9% were Black. This is in proportion of these individuals in the general Santa Barbara population.

• Women who use the Shelter have "nowhere else to go." A woman with an independent income might have resources to get out of town, go to a motel, etc., but quite often is in great emotional distress, potential physical harm, and needs a safe, supportive environment to sort things out.

QUESTION: You're assuming women are the victims. Don't women hit?

ANSWER: Yes, indeed women use assaultive behaviors. Research on a national, random sample of households (Strauss, Steinmetz, Gelles, 1980) seems to show that women are as equally likely as men to hit. However, when you look at who gets "hurt" the story changes. Analysis of police reports in Santa Barbara, California indicated that in 90% (in instances where injuries were noted) the injuries were women only. In the remaining 10%, both parties had injuries. In all cases where both parties had injuries, the woman's injuries were more severe than the man's.

Second, there are issues of long-term victimization. When a relationship breaks up, the general finding is that the man will keep his job, the woman will keep the children.

Domestic Violence FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions), kindly provided by The Paladin Group.

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