Editor’s Corner: Domestic Violence

As my friends at The Haven observe National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, along with the rest of the nation, it seems to be the perfect time to share a few facts.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, on average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men.

One in three women and one in four men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.

On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide.

The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%.

In Arkansas, 40.8% of women and 34.8% of men experience intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking in their lifetimes.

Shocking numbers...

A study of intimate partner homicides found that 20% of victims were not the intimate partners themselves, but family members, friends, neighbors, persons who intervened, law enforcement responders, or bystanders.

And, 72% of all murder-suicides involve an intimate partner; 94% of the victims of these murder suicides are female.

And, what’s worse than that?

One in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90% of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence.

Sandra Brand is the editor of the NEA Town Courier and The Osceola Times. She may be reached by phone at 870-763-4461 or 870-563-2615 or by email at brand@osceolatimes.com.