“It is the most common violent crime in the World”
Abuse, the occurrence of one or more of the following acts between family or household members: (a) attempting or causing physical harm; (b) placing another in fear of imminent serious physical harm; (c) causing another to engage involuntarily in sexual relations by force, threat or duress.
Abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual and financial. Every nine seconds a woman is battered in the United States. One half of all homeless people are escaping from domestic violence. One third of women are physically abused during pregnancy. Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of injury to unborn children. Battering tends to increase and become more violent over time. Over 50% of all murdered women die as a result of domestic violence.