1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men in the U.S. report experiencing physical abuse from a spouse or intimate partner.
South Carolina has historically been in the top 10 deadliest states in the nation for men killing women since 1996 when the Violence Policy Center has kept the statistics. We have even been #1 several times as recently as 2015. The latest Violence Policy Center report, released in late September 2020, showed that for the first time since they have been keeping track, S.C. ranks 11th in the U.S. for women killed by men.
Greenville County often has the highest # of reported DV incidents in SC annually.
The rate of African American women murdered by men is more than three times that of white women.
1 in 3 teens report knowing a friend or peer who has been physically abused by a partner.
Women of color and immigrant women often face additional barriers, such as discrimination or fear of deportation, making it more difficult to seek help.
While anyone can experience abuse from an intimate partner, factors such as racism, discrimination, immigration status, and poverty can make it more difficult for people of color to find or even ask for help. Some of those factors include:
Abusers may use their partner's immigration status as a way to exert power and control over them. Some examples of this include:
People in the LGBTQ+ community exprience domestic violence at the same or even higher rates than their straight and cisgender counterparts. Though individuals who harm may use some of the same tactics used in heterosexual relationships, they may also take advantage of homophobia and transphobia to abuse their partners. Some examples of this include:
While anyone can be a victim of intimate partner abuse, people with disabilities are more likely to experience abuse than people without disabililties. Abusers take advantage of the barriers people with disabilities face and use them against them. Some examples of this include:
While women are typically the ones being abused and men are typically the abusers, there are men who face abuse from their intimate partner. In fact, 1 in 4 men have been physically abused and 1 in 7 men have been severely physically abused by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime. Men who are abused often feel they cannot seek help due to the stigma associated with being a male victim.
Not only are men sometimes survivors of domestic violence but men can and should play an important role in ending domestic violence. Reach out to Safe Harbor to learn more about how men can help us in the work of ending domestic violence.