Identifying and Acting Against Intimate Partner Violence in the U.S.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), also known as “Domestic Violence,” is a widespread issue that affects children, adolescents, and adults across the U.S. Typically perpetrated by a current or former spouse and/or dating partner, IPV ranges in its type, frequency, and severity. The CDC identifies four main types of IPV:

Physical Violence – using physical force (hitting, kicking, using a weapon) to hurt a partner.

• 33% of women and 25% of men have experienced severe physical violence by a partner.

Sexual Violence – forcing or attempting to force a partner to partake in a sex act or other sexual event (ex. sexting) without that partner’s consent.

• 20% of women and 8% of men have experienced sexual violence by a partner.

Stalking – a pattern of repeated, unwanted attention or contact by a current or former partner that causes unease, paranoia, and/or fear.

• 14% of women and 5% of men have been stalked by a partner.

Psychosocial Aggression – using words or actions to harm a partner mentally and/or emotionally.[1]

• 36% of women and 33% of men have experienced psychosocial aggression by a partner.

Who perpetrates IPV?

People of any gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, or educational level can perpetrate IPV. However, certain trends have emerged:

• Children who have witnessed domestic or family violence.
• Men who are taught that women should not be equally respected.
• Lower education levels correlate with higher rates of IPV. However, people with high levels of education also perpetrate IPV.
• People struggling with anger, jealousy, or low self-esteem.
• People dealing with personality or psychological disorders.
• People abusing drugs or alcohol.
• People struggling to maintain employment[2].

Who experiences IPV?

People of any gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, or educational level can experience IPV. However, certain trends have emerged:  

• Women who observed domestic or family violence as children.
• Men or women living with a male partner are more likely to experience IPV than those living with female partners.
• People identifying as transgender.
• People identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual are associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing IPV (occurring in about 25% of relationships).
• • 35% of heterosexual women, 40% of lesbian women, and 60% of bisexual women experience IPV[3].

How does IPV vary by race?

• Black non-Hispanic women (44%) and multiracial non-Hispanic women (54%) are more likely to experience IPV, compared to white non-Hispanic women (35%) and AAPI non-Hispanic women (20%).
• Alaska Native non-Hispanic men (45%), Black non-Hispanic men (40%), and 39% of multiracial non-Hispanic men (39%) are more likely to experience IPV, compared to white non-Hispanic men (28%).
• 47% of female IPV survivors and 39% of male IPV survivors were between 18 and 24 years of age when they first experienced IPV[4].

How can you identify a current victim or survivor of IPV? 

The North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence identifies the following relationship cues:

• Inequality between the people involved (i.e., the abusive person shows a lack of respect or concern for the other person).
• Lack of choice (i.e., the abusive person makes most of the decisions or doesn’t listen when the other person says or indicates “no”).
• Fear or uncertainty (i.e., one person feeling “on guard” or afraid because of the abusive person’s unpredictable behavior or language).
• Suspicion or lack of trust (i.e., the abusive person constantly demanding that the other person prove themselves or account for their whereabouts or behavior)[5].

Physical Cues:

• Obvious physical injuries such as bites, cuts, broken bones, concussions, burns, knife or gunshot wounds.
• Bruises to the face, neck, head, breasts, chest, or abdomen in varying stages of healing (older, yellow bruises and newer, purple bruises (remember, accidental injuries more often involve the extremities of the body).
• Complaints of backaches, stomachaches, headaches, decreased appetite, chronic pain, and insomnia without other obvious causes.
• Clothing covering injuries of face, neck, breasts, torso, or buttocks.
• Defensive injuries on the forearms and hands[6].

Mental/Emotional cues:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Withdrawal from family and friends[7].

IPV can result in severe physical injuries and death. 75% of female survivors and 48% of male survivors experience an injury related to IPV – cuts, burns, broken bones. In fact, 50% percent of women seen in the emergency room report active or past abuse. It is estimated that 20% of all homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner. 50% of all female homicide victims are killed by a current or former intimate male partner.

Heartbreakingly, 40% of women are eventually killed by their abuser sought help in the 2 years before their death. Overall, IPV is responsible for 1,500 deaths in the U.S.[8]

In 2022 alone, 36 people have been killed by a current or previous intimate partner in North Carolina. These are their names:

Deanna Michelle Bockes, 48

Amy Bland Roland, 44

Jamaica Delona Allen, 22

Mercedes Rosa Sterling, 41

Ashley Drinnon, 48

Jaquisica Wilson, 27

Lailani Nicole Givens, 34

Hazel Leach, 28

Erica Thomas, 38

Heather White Boyce, 29

Larry Benton, 65

Charles Alexander Barber, 50

Ashton Brown, 26

Bella Rose Ewing-Meeks, 4

Brixx Ewing-Meeks, 8 months

Montasia Arrington, 20

Gloria Peacock, 37

Shadae Nicole Roscoe, 26

Tinikia Hodges, 48

Robert Jenkins, 19

Gertie Frances Kendrick Duncan, 79

Tavarra LaShun Means Gutierrez, 44

Brandy Nicole Smitherman, 38

Shatina Watson, 43

Aimee Wah, 32

Melanie Shamel, 52

Amy Raelynne Phillips, 46

Mishael James “MJ” Auman, 37

Jessica Locklear, 38

Lisa Flynn, 71

Wendy Lynn Jones, 20

Tanisha Donnette Raeford, 47

Jamica Ann Hinton, 35

Amber Jensen, 47

Jacqueline Beckwith, 54

Tina Sedberry Carlton, 50

What can you do to combat intimate partner violence in North Carolina?

Fortunately, the rate of nonfatal IPV is decreasing. According to the National Library of Medicine, this is likely due to:

1. Decline in the marriage rate.
2. Decreased domesticity (i.e., “family life” or women expected to take care of families).
3. Better access to domestic violence shelters and resources.
4. Improvements in women’s economic status through employment, independent savings, and investment.
5. Increase in the average age of the population.

In addition to these improvements, the CDC task force identifies 6 ways in which individuals and institutions can work to decrease the incidence and severity of IPV.

The North Carolina State Senate is actively deciding on Bill 445. The bill, which passed its first reading in April 2021, would establish an important stipulation on divorce that would protect and empower survivors of intimate partner violence. Currently, North Carolina law states that before two spouses can divorce, they must have been separated for at least 12 months (i.e., living separately, abstaining from consistent relations). However, Bill 445 would waive this 12-month separation requirement for victims of domestic violence. In other words, if a person can establish that they have experienced IPV, they can immediately seek a divorce. This is important because IPV survivors may not have the financial, emotional, or mental capacity to live separately from their partners before seeking a divorce.

As a North Carolina citizen and constituent, your voice has power. Express your support for IPV intervention programs and Bill 445 by:

Writing to your State Senator

https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/RepresentationByCounty/S

Writing to your State Representative

https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/RepresentationByCounty/H

Writing to North Carolina’s Senators

https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

Writing to North Carolina’s Congresspeople

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

In addition,

If you have not already, make sure you register to vote and vote during every election

https://vote.gov/

If you or someone you know has experienced intimate partner violence, you can get help

https://nccadv.org/get-help

National Domestic Violence Hotline

1-800-799-7233

[1] CDC

[2] National Library of Medicine, StatPearls, Domestic Violence

[3] National Library of Medicine, StatPearls, Domestic Violence

[4] National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC)

[5] North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence

[6] National Library of Medicine, StatPearls, Domestic Violence

[7] National Library of Medicine, StatPearls, Domestic Violence

[8] National Library of Medicine, StatPearls, Domestic Violence