In Missouri, variations in reporting practices leads to an undercount of domestic violence incidents. The Missouri Department of Public Safety documents a 1993 rate of 657 such incidents per 100,000 population. Studies of homeless women, however, reveal a much grimmer picture. The Missouri Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that in 1993, shelters in 27 counties provided refuge for 4,369 women and 5,151 children. Over 6,000 additional women were denied shelter due to a lack of space.
Domestic violence terrorizes children.
Witnessing violence against a parent is emotionally traumatic for a child, and children are likely to suffer additional consequences as a result of this trauma. Domestic violence may also appear among teenagers in the form of physically, emotionally, or sexually abusive relationships. Teenagers may also be injured when attempting to stop the batterer from abusing their parent. Another often unrecognized consequence of domestic violence is child abduction. Battering parents frequently use child abduction or the threat of it to terrorize their partners.