Last year in America nearly four million women were physically abused by their husbands or boyfriends. Physical abuse of a woman occurs approximately every nine seconds in this country. More women are victims of domestic violence than of burglary, muggings, and other violent crime combined. Approximately 1 in 5 women victimized by a spouse or ex-spouse has reported that she had been in a series of at least 3 assaults in the preceding 6 months.
Pregnant women are even more likely to be beaten by husbands or boyfriends.
In over half the cases, the physical abuse of a woman by her partner was accompanied by death threats. Ending the relation does not always end the violence. Over one third of women who leave abusive relationships continue to be threatened, assaulted or harassed afterwards. Over one in four has attempted suicide at least once, usually in adolescence. Only six women reported that their physicians had ever asked them about domestic violence.