10 October 2014

The Salvation Army is committed to helping victims of domestic violence year round. However, in October, we take a moment to reflect on this world-wide crisis, and our work locally to make a difference in the lives of those impacted.

For more than 30 years, The Salvation Army has been assisting victims of domestic violence in the Northwest. Our confidential location in King County serves women and men throughout the region, sharing counseling and resources to lead them to independence from their abuser.

Domestic violence is a serious problem in the United States. The US Center for Disease Control reports recent statistics.*

• On average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States – more than 12 million women and men over the course of a year.
• Nearly 3 in 10 women and 1 in 10 men in the US have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by a partner.
• Domestic violence resulted in 2,340 deaths in 2007 – accounting for 14% of all homicides. Of these deaths, 70% were females and 30% were males.
• The medical care, mental health services, and lost productivity (e.g., time away from work) cost of domestic violence was an estimated $5.8 billion in 1995. Updated to 2003 dollars, that’s more than $8.3 billion.

If you or someone you know needs help, please call our confidential crisis hotline (available 24 hours a day, seven days a week) at 1-888-324-4943. Or, call National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). You can also find the website for the National Domestic Violence Hotline by clicking HERE.

^{*Source: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pub/ipv_factsheet.html}