The problem of violence against women is an epidemic that needs to be addressed. Below, you will find recent information on various aspects of violence against women and see just how bad this problem has become. For those wanting to see the sources of the following information, you can go to a works cited page here. According to the AMA, sexual assault continues to represent the most rapidly growing violent crime in America, claiming a victim every 45 seconds. Even more startling is that The National Victim Center reports that over 700,000 women are raped or sexually assaulted annually .
Acquaintance rape is particularly common among adolescent victims.
Unfortunately, women with a history of rape or attempted rape during adolescence are almost twice as likely to experience a sexual assault during college, and were three times as likely to be victimized by a husband. National surveys estimate that 2 million women are abused by their partners each year. Furthermore, every 15 seconds , a women is battered in the United States by her husband, boyfriend, or live-in partner. In an article in the periodical U.S. Catholic, they found studies that showed that domestic violence is the largest single cause for women going on welfare, not to mention the main reason for homelessness among women. And in what may seem as being kicked when they are already down, the article stated that insurance companies have sought to deny health, life, and disability coverage to battered women.