OOP Survivor Blog

Four women and five children die every day in the U.S. due to domestic violence. Read President Barack Obama's Presidential Proclamation announcing his commitment to reducing the prevalence of domestic violence in our country.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

CDC's latest report: 1 in 4 women were violently attacked by a husband or boyfriend

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) yesterday, based on a telephone survey conducted in 2010. Results show that "on average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States." You can find details of the report here, as well as a fact sheet and toolkit.

One in 4 women in the U.S. say they were violently attacked by a husband or boyfriend. NPR calls this a "startling" number. NPR reports that as many as 1 in 3 women have experienced rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetimes.

Personally, as a women's health advocate, I'm not at all surprised. As I read through the comments from government officials and others who seem truly shocked by the results, I'm relieved that the CDC's report will help spread awareness of this ugly part of our society that has remained hidden for far too long. It's time for us to take notice and take action. Thankfully, the CDC has begun a new annual project in this area....it will be interesting to see how the agency proceeds to tackle this major public health issue.