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Violence/Abuse

Incidence of violence against women

Physical assaults by someone known to the victim are a leading cause of injury to women. Most assaults on women are by their partners, but most of these assaults are also not reported. Better data on violence against women are needed, but here is some indication of how common it is:

In various studies, estimates of assaults on women by partners or the people they live with ranges from 1.8 million to almost 4 million per year.
One in four women in America will be assaulted by a domestic partner in her lifetime.
Domestic abuse is the leading cause of injury to women in America. It is estimated that 20-30% of women treated in emergency rooms are victims of domestic abuse.

A survey by the Commonwealth Fund found that 92% of women who were physically abused by their partners did not tell their doctors. Please tell your physician. He or she can help.

Violence against women can begin as early as child abuse. In a 1991 industry study revealed that violence might continue into old age. Two-thirds of reported cases of elder abuse including physical, sexual, psychological abuse, neglect and exploitation were against women. The most common victim of elder abuse is an older woman with some chronic illness or disability and the most common abuser is a spouse or another relative living with her.