Family Violence Runs Far And Wide
Family violence includes child abuse (physical, sexual and neglect), intimate partner violence and violence against elders. In 2000, the Bureau of Statistics reported that 459,590 victims of intimate partner violence had children under the age of 12 living with them. The National Crime Victimization Survey also found that children who grew up in abusive households were more likely to perform poorly in school, develop mental health problems and become offenders later in life.
Each year, more than 1,460 children die of neglect or child abuse in America. Nearly half of these murders occur before the child is one year old and 75% occur before age four. The most common type of harm is neglect, which accounts for nearly half of the deaths.
The second most common type is multiple maltreatments, which includes hitting, shaking or intentionally hurting the child again and again over time. As a result of these abuses, many children grow up to become aggressors themselves.
For instance, 37% of female inmates and 14% of male inmates were victims of childhood violence. Abused children are also 3.8 times more likely to become alcohol or substance abusers and a third of the victims go on to hurt their own children.
Further adding to family violence, the FBI found that 444 elderly relatives were the victims of murder between 1996 and 2001. An additional 20,955 elderly relatives were assaulted but survived. A study conducted in New Zealand found that 70% of the victims were female, and that 59% of the cases were psychological abuse, 42% were material/financial abuse, 12% of cases were physical and 2% were sexual.
Family members were the primary abusers, with sons or daughters committing the crimes 40% of the time. Abuse of the elderly can create deep-seated depression and could cause a number of adverse health effects.
While the reasons for family violence run far and wide, there are certain risk factors. For example, while divorced and separated women only comprise 10% of the overall population, they account for 75% of all battered women. Poverty and unemployment are two contributing factors for violence at home.
Additionally, stress, alcoholism, drug addiction, ambiguous family values, interpersonal conflicts and unrealistic expectations can also lead to battery. Many women lose time from work due to stalking, while 7% never return to work again because they are fearful of encountering their stalkers. Those who have been beaten are more likely to be unemployed or on welfare and suffer from health problems.
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