There has been a decline in the rate of domestic violence from 1993-2004 in the United States. In 1993, there were 5.8 nonfatal instances of domestic violence per 1,000 US residents over the age of 12. By 2004, the number delined to 2.6 nonfatal incidents of domestic violence per 1,000 residents over the age of 12. The U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics also found that women age 20-24 experience the highest rate of domestic violence, women who are separated experience higher rates of domestic violence than women of any other marital status, and that women who live in lower income households experience the highest rates of domestic violence. The study also found that reports of domestic violence to police increased for all victims over the decade in question, with black females more likely to report domestic violence to police than white females.
Family Violence Prevention Fund President Esta Soler said, "It is clear that violence against women remains a costly and devastating problem in this country."
This report is based on the National Crime Victimization Survey and the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, see http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/intimate/ipv.htm.
Compiled from: "Newsflash: Government Reports Drop in Domestic Violence," January 17, 2007 at http://endabuse.org/newsflash/index.php3?Search=Article&NewsFlashID=832.