Domestic Violence Statistics in California

Domestic violence is a serious crime that can result in serious consequences. A conviction can lead to jail time or fines, force you to leave your home, or cause you to lose custody of your children. Prosecutors in San Diego, California, take domestic violence offenses seriously.

If you’re facing DV charges, contact an experienced San Diego domestic violence attorney at Blair Defense Criminal Lawyers to discuss your case. We will help you understand your rights and options and begin building your defense. Call us today at (619) 357-4977.

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Prevalence of Domestic Violence in the United States

Domestic violence is one of the most common forms of abuse in the country.

According to The National Domestic Violence Hotline:

Approximately 24 people are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States per minute.
Every year, approximately 12 million people suffer from physical abuse.
Around 15% of women and 4% of men experience severe physical violence, rape/sexual violence, or stalking involving an intimate partner each year.
Every day, approximately 20,000 phone calls are placed to domestic violence hotlines across the country.
Intimate partner violence is responsible for about 15% of all violent crimes.
Women between the ages of 18 to 24 are most commonly abused by an intimate partner.
Around 22% of children in the U.S. are exposed to intimate partner violence every year.

Of course, not all allegations of domestic violence are true. Unfortunately, domestic violence is also one of the most falsely reported crimes in San Diego, California. Contact a San Diego domestic violence attorney for help defending false charges.

Domestic Violence in California

California has a fairly high rate of domestic violence. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence provides the following insights into domestic violence in California:

Around 35% of women and 31% of men in California experience physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking involving an intimate partner during their lifetimes.
There were nearly 170,000 domestic violence-related calls to law enforcement in a recent year. However, domestic violence experts believe this number is much lower than the actual number of domestic violence incidents because many incidents go unreported.
46% of reported incidents of domestic violence-related calls to law enforcement involved weapons.
81% of California domestic violence shelters served 5,644 adults and children in a single day. However, this number still did not meet the need, as 1,236 requests for services went unmet because of insufficient resources.
10.7% of all the homicides that occurred in California in a recent year were domestic violence-related. The number of DV-related homicides increased by over 22% the previous year.
According to a study of women in 67 California domestic violence shelters, 39.1% of the participants said that their abusive intimate partner owned a firearm. 32.1% of the study participants said that their abusive intimate partners used handguns to harm, threaten, or scare them.
In a recent year, California submitted over 12,400 domestic violence misdemeanor convictions to the NICS Index.

Again, these statistics do not account for false accusations of domestic violence.

Who Does Domestic Violence Affect?

Domestic violence is willful intimidation, physical assault, sexual assault, battery, or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by a person who has a relationship with the alleged victim.

Domestic violence affects every community, regardless of:

Age
Race
Gender
Religion
Nationality
Socioeconomic status

Although domestic violence often involves intimate partners, it can also involve anyone the alleged perpetrator:

Is related to by blood or marriage
Currently or formerly lived with
Currently or formerly was married to or had an intimate relationship with
Has a child in common with
Currently or formerly dated

This definition of domestic violence is necessary to protect all possible victims.

Statistics Regarding Specific Types of Domestic Violence

Domestic violence may include physical violence, sexual violence, emotional abuse, or economic abuse.

Physical violence – Physical violence includes punching, slapping, shoving, or other forms of physical violence. One in three women and one in four men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. One in seven women and one in 25 men have been physically injured by an intimate partner.
Sexual violence – Sexual violence includes rape, sexual assault, and unwanted sexual contact. It also includes the use of drugs, alcohol, or coercion to compel sexual activity. One in ten women has been raped by an intimate partner. 46.7% of female and 44.9% of male victims in the United States were raped by an acquaintance. Of these, 45.4% of female rape victims and 29% of male rape victims have been raped by an intimate partner.
Emotional abuse – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines emotional abuse as the use of verbal and non-verbal communication to harm a partner mentally or emotionally and/or to exert control over a partner. 48.4% of women and 48.8% of men in the United States experience psychological aggression by an intimate partner at some point during their lifetime.
Economic abuse – The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence defines economic abuse as maintaining control over financial resources, withholding access to money, or trying to prevent a victim from working or attending school in an attempt to create financial dependence to control them. Up to 99% of domestic violence victims have also suffered economic abuse.

Contact the police if you’ve been affected by one of these forms of domestic violence. If you aren’t comfortable contacting law enforcement, try calling your local domestic violence shelter or the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-SAFE (7233)).

Contact Our Domestic Violence Law Firm in San Diego if You Were Falsely Accused of Domestic Violence

Not all allegations of domestic violence are legitimate. If you’ve been wrongfully charged with domestic violence, you have rights. Blair Defense Criminal Lawyers can help you defend your name, reputation, and freedom.