Domestic violence statistics

Domestic violence statistics

Historically, domestic violence has been the most frequent violent crime in Lincoln. Domestic assaults exceed the combined number of robberies, homicides, rapes, sex offenses, and weapons violations in Lincoln. However, criminal justic figures represent a small portion of the total annual violations in Lincoln. If national estimates by the U.S. Department of Justice that 8 to 12 percent of women experience some form of domestic violence within a year are valid in Lancaster County, law enforcement contacts represent well under half the actual domestic assaults occuring in the county.

Using the justice department estimates, there are about 50,000 to 60,000 domestic violence victims annually in Nebraska. On average, three people are arrested in Lincoln each day for assaulting their partners. Arrests represent a fraction of the actual assaults.

Nationally, about 75 percent of the deaths related to domestic abuse occur when the woman is either separated from or has left the abuser.

Domestic violence is the most common cause of nonfatal injury to women in the United States. The American Medical Association says domestic violence is more common than automobile accidents, muggings, and rapes combined as a cause of injury. Between 19 and 30 percent of women seeking care in emergency rooms are battered women. About 25 percent of women who attempt to commit suicide are domestic violence victims.

The availability of economic resources is the best indicator of whether a woman will leave an abusive relationship. More than 50 percent of battered women say they stay with their abuser because they do not feel they can support themselves and their children. A study in New York found that 56 percent of employed battered women are late for work at least five times a month, 28 percent leave work early at least five times a month, and 54 percent miss at least three full days of work a month.