While domestic violence is a crime whose victims are largely women and children, it is regarded as a substantial public health problem with multiple and serious consequences and costs for entire families and communities, regardless of ethnic, racial, or economic backgrounds. Nearly 1 in 3 adult women experience physical assault by a partner during adulthood. The rates of domestic violence are consistent across racial and ethnic groups. However, the U.S. Department of Justice has noted a significant link between poverty and an increased incidence of domestic violence. Domestic violence rates are 5 times higher among families below poverty levels, and severe spousal abuse is twice as likely to be committed by unemployed men as by those working full time.
Domestic violence is a major cause of family homelessness.
As many as half of all women and children who become homeless do so because of domestic violence. The overlap between domestic violence and child abuse is well documented. A 1995 Gallup Poll of family violence found that from 1.5 million to 3.3 million children witness parental domestic violence each year. National research reveals that 75 percent of battered women report their children are also battered. Women age 19 to 29 were more likely than other women to be victims of violence by an intimate.