People in gay and lesbian relationships are less likely to be abused than people in straight relationships. Battering is rarely life-threatening. Women who injure or kill abusers in self-defense are not likely to be prosecuted. In three-fourths of reported spousal assaults, the victim was separated or divorced from the abuser at the time of the incident. The greatest risk occurs when the partner leaves the abuser.
Women are at a significantly higher risk for abuse during pregnancy.
Battering is more common than placenta previa or diabetes. One-half of all rapes of women over 30 are part of a battering syndrome. Battered women are frequently raped by their abusers. After the onset of battering, women are nine times more likely to abuse drugs, and sixteen times more likely to abuse alcohol than the non-battered. There is a high correlation between substance abuse and battery by men.