Based on national survey results, 1.8 million women are beaten by their husbands each year. Stated another way, one of every eight husbands assaults his wife at least once during a given year. Abuse during courtship and cohabiting relationships affects between 16 and 23 percent of all dating relationships. The FBI estimates that one in two women will be physically assaulted by her male partner during her lifetime. Frequently physical abuse begins during pregnancy with 25-30 percent of pregnant women reporting abuse prior to or during pregnancy.
Pregnant women reporting abuse are more likely to deliver a low birthweight infant.
Injuries to women sustained from abuse include contusions, concussions, lacerations, fractures and gun shot wounds. Emergency room records document that 22 to 35 percent of women presenting any complaint are there because of symptoms related to physical abuse. Some 1,000 women are killed each year by their male partner, almost always following years of physical abuse. The economic costs of interpersonal violence are high especially if a weapon is involved. Because most physical violence between intimate partners goes underreported, the economic costs are grossly underrepresented.