DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

A pattern of coercive behavior used my one person in order to maintain power and control in a relationship. Batterers repeatedly subject their victims to any forceful physical or psychological behavior in order to coerce them to do something batterers want them to do without regard to the victim's rights or well-being.

Know the Facts:

• Domestic Violence is the leading cause of serious injury to American women, more common than muggings and car crashes combined.
  
• Every year between 2 and 4 million women are battered by their husbands or boyfriends.
  
• Approximately 3.3 million children witness violence toward their mothers each year.
  
• Violent youth are four times more likely to come from homes in which their fathers beat their mothers than are nonviolent youth.
  
• In West Virginia, a domestic homicide occurs every 10 days.
  
• Battered women seek medical attention for injuries sustained as a consequence of domestic violence significantly more often after separation from the batterer; about 75% of visits to emergency rooms by battered women occur after separation.
• Between 1989 and 1998, domestic violence incidents accounted for 30.6% of all homicides in the state.