Intimate partner and sexual violence and stalking
rates high in the US
Loving and being loved has nothing
to do with violence. But physical and sexual violence in intimate
relationships is still very common.
A recent report by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released statistics on intimate partner
violence, sexual violence and stalking rates in the United States.
A portion of the report showed that
rates of stalking and violence were higher in lesbian, gay and bisexual groups
than among the heterosexual population.
Researchers made recommendations for
promoting healthy family environments to reduce future violence and for
improving training for healthcare workers to support patient recovery from
violence.
"Call the National Domestic
Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE if you are experiencing partner
violence. "
Emergency number for those in Lagos, Nigeria: 767 or 112 you can comment by leaving emergency numbers for your country, region or area.
The CDC has released its
data from The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS).
For the NISVS, 16,507 adult men and
women in the US, aged 18 and older, were randomly selected by a telephone
dialing system in 2010 and interviewed about sexual violence, stalking and
intimate partner violence.
Incidence of rape was reported by 18
percent of women, with 51 percent of those women being raped by an intimate
partner and 41 percent by a known acquaintance. A total of 42 percent of women
said they were raped before turning 18 years of age.
Incidence of rape was reported by 1
percent of men, with 52 percent of those men being raped by a known
acquaintance and 15 percent by a stranger. A total of 28 percent of men said
they were raped before turning 11 years of age.
Sexual coercion, or being pressured
to have unwanted sex in a nonphysical way, was reported by 13 percent of women
and 6 percent of men.
A total of 16 percent of women and 5
percent of men reported having been the target of a stalker who made them
fearful of harm.
A total of 24 percent of women and
14 percent of men reported they had experienced severe physical violence by an
intimate partner.
Based on sexual orientation,
intimate partner violence, sexual violence and stalking was reported by:
- 61 percent of bisexual women
- 44 percent of lesbian women
- 35 percent of heterosexual women
- 37 percent of bisexual men
- 26 percent of gay men
- 29 percent of heterosexual men
Overall, the CDC estimates 24 people
per minute, which totals 12 million people per year, experience physical
violence, stalking or sexual violence by an intimate partner.
Major public health concerns
associated with intimate partner and sexual violence included, but
were not limited to: physical injury, headaches, trouble sleeping,
depression, anxiety, suicide attempts, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
stomach trouble, substance abuse, sexually transmitted infections
and gynecological and pregnancy complications.
“We know that violence affects
everyone, regardless of sexual orientation. This report suggests that lesbians,
gay men and bisexuals in this country suffer a heavy toll of sexual violence
and stalking committed by an intimate partner. While intervening and providing
services are important, prevention is equally critical,” said CDC Director Dr.
Tom Frieden.
The CDC recommended prevention
efforts start early and promote healthy, respectful and emotionally supportive
relationships in family environments.
Early childhood interactions based
on trust and respect would promote effective and non-violent communication in
later romantic relationships.
In addition, the CDC recommended
increased training for healthcare professionals to help people physically and
psychologically recover from sexual violence.
This report was released in January
on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Conditions:
Author Info
Reviewed
by:
By:Sarah
Wickline
