ANA believes there is a need to increase awareness to the health problem of violence against women, as well as reduce injuries and psychological misery associated with this crime. ANA believes health care professionals must be educated as to their role in the assessment, intervention and prevention of physical violence against women. Further, ANA supports the Year 2000 Health Objectives which cite the surveillance, prevention and intervention for violent behavior as a priority issue for the nation. Physical violence against women is behavior intended to inflict harm and includes, slapping, kicking, choking, punching, pushing, use of objects as weapons, forced sexual activity and injury or death from a weapon.
Physical violence is by definition, assault and it is a crime.
Ninety-five percent of serious assaults by a spouse or intimate partner are men battering women. Abuse is the leading cause of injury to women and homicide a major cause of traumatic death to women. Physical violence against women is pervasive and cuts across all ethnic, racial, religious, and socio-economic groups. 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.