Statistics

National Statistics

  • 1 in 4 women will likely be abused by a partner in her lifetime
  • Every 15 seconds the crime of battering occurs
  • Over 1 million women are stalked annually in the United States
  • Approximately 324,000 pregnant women are victims of domestic violence each year
  • 96% of victims have had work problems because of their relationship with their abuser, costing American businesses $3-5 billion annually
  • Direct healthcare costs associated with domestic violence are estimated to be $4.1 billion
  • 15% of homicides were perpetrated by intimate partners in 2010; 10% of reported rapes were perpetrated by an intimate partner in 2010; 25% of aggravated assaults were perpetrated by an intimate partner in 2010.

Sources: Tjaden & Thoenness; NIJ, 2000: American Institute on Domestic Violence, 2003; Gazmarian et al, 2000; CDC 2003

Local Statistics

  • South Carolina ranks first in the nation for domestic violence-related homicides (up from 7th in 2011 and 2nd in 2012). (source: Violence Policy Center, 2013)
  • Charleston County ranked #1 in the state for domestic violence victims from 1991 – 2004
  • From 1991 – 2004 there were 650,833 domestic violence offenses and 1,471 domestic violence deaths reported in the state
  • Approximately 4,318 women and children are sheltered in the state and 16,380 women are receiving non-shelter services: counseling, advocacy and community education
  • From 2005 – 2009 in South Carolina, there were: 442 domestic homicides, 6,476 acts of domestic sexual violence, and 272,763 different types of domestic violence related incidents.
  • The domestic violence victimization rate in South Carolina dropped 23.3% from 148.7 per 10,000 in 2005 to 114.1 per 10,000 in 2009.
  • Domestic victim to offender relationships in South Carolina were reported among 40.8% of all violent crime victims from 2005 through 2009.

Sources: US Uniform Crime Reports, 2008; South Carolina Department of Public Safety, 2008; “The Rule of Thumb: A Five Year Overview of Domestic Violence in South Carolina, 2005-2009”, www.scdps.gov, February 2011