Poor Economy Tied To Rise In Domestic Violence, Survey Finds

A new survey by the nonprofit Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) has found that police departments across the country are encountering more instances of domestic violence related to the poor economy, USA Today reports.

More than half of the 700 law enforcement agencies polled for the survey reported seeing a rise in "domestic conflicts" related to the economy during 2011, according to USA Today. That's a sharp increase from the numbers reported in a similar 2010 survey, when 40 percent of agencies reported seeing an increase in such cases.

Scott Thompson, the Chief of Police in Camden, N.J., spoke to the paper about the survey results and said that his city saw a 20 percent increase in domestic incidents and a 10 percent increase in domestic-related aggravated assaults from 2010 to 2011. Thompson noted that the unemployment rate in the city is currently 19 percent.

"When stresses in the home increase because of unemployment and other hardships, domestic violence increases," Thomson told the paper. "We see it on the street."

In turn, the poor economy has reduced the amount of resources available to victims of domestic violence, according to a recent survey conducted by the Mary Kay Foundation. In a poll of 730 domestic violence shelters across the country, nearly 80 percent reported seeing an increase in women seeking abuse at the same time funding for prevention and assistance programs had decreased.

Nearly three in every four domestic violence victims reported staying in an abusive relationship because they could not afford to leave, according the survey.

Rebecca White, president and CEO of the Houston Area Women's Center, said staffers have seen a sharp rise in calls from victims of domestic violence and that many say economic woes have factored into their situations.

"When there is less economic opportunity in the community, it keeps that victim tethered basically to their abusers for financial dependence," White told KPRC Houston.

Clarification: A previous version of this article did not list Rebecca White's full job title.

Comments

[Keman Makaiesea]

01:05 AM on 09/17/2012

My dream is to correct some of the funding issues in a kinda different way. I want to create a real world for profit business that uses it's profit to support long term funding for victims. Have a look. Feel free to contact me with any questions. http://igg.me/p/183582?a=914776

[Vancouver Law]

11:38 PM on 08/31/2012

I would have hoped people would have more self-control despite any extra stress they might... this is disheartening news.

http://www.lawblogvancouver.com/domestic-violence-has-risen-because-of-the-poor-economy-2

[RedAlertLiveTV]

09:12 AM on 05/15/2012

Here is a very sad story about domestic violence and where you can get help:
SMH: Domestic Violence – This Is Why You Leave! Man Gouges Girlfriend’s Eyes Out! (Video)
http://redalertlive.com/2012/05/15/domestic-violence-man-gouges-girlsifriends-eyes/

[kamilah cee]

11:22 PM on 05/15/2012

It would not have mattered whether she left or not. He is the problem. Not her. Why doesn't the criminal justice system prosecute these men more harshly? If he hadn't gouged her eyes out, it would have been another woman. How many times does a man need to attack a person before the justice system treats them like the habitual offender that they are?!

[mdipary2004]

03:22 PM on 05/04/2012

According to a report by the US Department of Human Services and the US Department of Justice, an estimated 835,000 men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner every year. These assaults can be sexual or physical, and this statistic does not include emotional or verbal abuse.


Men are often the victims of domestic violence, but the incidents rarely get much attention. There is a general assumption that men are the violent partners, but statistics indicate that violence against male partners occurs and is missclassified under other criminal acts, other than DV. Why are men NOT entitled to the same protections as women when they are assaulted, and deserve strong legal counsel who will fight for their rights, and work to protect them against abusive partners.

[CS Bao]

12:56 AM on 05/04/2012

"In a poll of 730 domestic violence shelters across the country, nearly 80 percent reported seeing an increase in women seeking abuse at the same time funding for prevention and assistance programs had decreased." Typo?

[l78lancer]

07:00 PM on 05/03/2012

Domestic violence is a matter of deliberate indifference in thish country. That is why no effort has been put forth from the righting to renew the federal protection from abuse legislation, despite the fact that as economic strife increased so does domestic violence and abuse - for both women and men.

[MJinCanada]

04:20 PM on 05/03/2012

The correlation between poverty and domestic violence (and other social evils) has been obvious since the Industrial Revolution, actually.

It was well enough documented during the Great Depression and has been evident in refugee camps around the world.

It's usually just surrounded by a "Somebody Else's Problem" field.

[willjo1]

10:05 AM on 05/03/2012

Yes, economic hardship has been connected to domestic violence, dysfunctional families, crime, and broken marriages. Well, my advices to anyone who have suffer such sadness; just keep moving, keep pushing forward. However, if the violence is hazard to your health or life style get the hell on!

[Vapula]

12:52 AM on 05/03/2012

And this is the gift of the Wall Street thugs. And who are they, what ethnic section of American society do they come from ???

[Morrisfactor]

12:12 AM on 05/03/2012

The DV industry has steadily expanded the definition of DV. It now includes some inanities such as: walking out of the room, blocking an exit from the room, raising one's voice in anger, not allowing her to spend money, the male spending too much money, (so he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't), the silent treatment, and my personal favorite: male privilege.

In other words, DV as a definition has become so elastic that it can cover anything from arguing over a new pair of shoes or golf clubs to one partner leaving the room to avoid an argument.

So how do we know that the increase in DV is not caused by the new, inflated definitions of DV? Something police departments, eager to cash in on state and federal dollars to combat shrinking budgets, are only to glad to report as "increasing"?

Maybe serious DV is down, but all these piddly, everyday manifestations of DV are inflating the stats?

Just wondering.

(And I was in an abusive marriage for four years with a spouse who had Borderline Personality Disorder, so kindly do not tell me I don't know anything about real abuse.)

[Burton Wynne Jr]

06:05 AM on 05/03/2012

While I am not a fan of the 'DV industry' nor do I agree with their definitions of abuse ("I remember intimidating due to size alone was a form of 'abuse'"). That there have been ties between hardships and DV. For example both men and women reported rises in incidents after disasters. Furthermore a friend of mine who was a Criminal Justice Professor how one Steele plant town had a rise in DV after the plant closed down: domestic partners had to deal with financial hardships and also were cooped up in the house together during the winter. He also claimed that this was the origins of taking one 'abusive' partner out of the house. I haven't verified my friend's story though so...

[Morrisfactor]

01:58 PM on 05/03/2012

Burton-

I agree with your reasoning. It does seem logical to me that some DV rates would increase due to economic stress, but just how much that is would be hard to separate from the new descriptions of domestic violence which entrap many men.

And don't forget the millions of bogus Temporary Restraining Orders issued every year but used as a divorce tactic to get the man out of the house and give the woman an advantage in court, not because there was any real DV. Are those numbers also inflating the DV rates?

I don't know, just wondering...

[MJinCanada]

04:41 PM on 05/03/2012

What you think of as "inanities" are part of psychological abuse, and it's the accumulative effect that counts. If you think about your own experience (and my sympathies there), you may remember small things -- hurtful comments, dismissiveness, selfish behaviours -- that really hurt emotionally.

Such things can also be used to control a partner and break him or her down. A former coworker had escaped such a situation. To outward appearances, she had it great -- her husband made good money, they had a nice house and he was charming to her in public. However, he had her on a tight budget, yet expected her to make nice meals and to dress herself and their children very well. He spent a fortune on his suits. He expected the house to be neat and tidy at all times, even when the kids were toddlers. He would also bring home guests with little or no warning and expect her to be ready to entertain and feed them. Every time she met his goals, he increased them. He chastized her when she failed. She couldn't win. Eventually she realized that he was playing a cruel game with her and left him. She had nothing, no car, no money. She had to call her parents and beg them to drive hundreds of miles to get her and the kids. And then he tried to persuade her parents and the divorce court that she was mentally ill, because she had no substantive proof of

[Morrisfactor]

06:00 PM on 05/03/2012

"If you think about your own experience (and my sympathies there), you may remember small things -- hurtful comments, dismissiveness, selfish behaviours -- that really hurt emotionally.'

You make excellent points, MJ. and I can agree with most of them.

The trouble is, all those small things also take place during typical, good marriages too - even in the strongest marriages folks may argue about money, or failure to do chores, or an expensive dress bought when not really needed, etc. That is MARRIED LIFE, and most couples smooth those arguments over and proceed onward.

The trouble with including them as standard DV is that judges cannot tell when one is a normal family argument/discussion or when it crosses the line and is part of a nefarious plan of abuse. So they grant restraining orders by the millions, based solely upon the women's word (males are not present when this occurs, so have no chance to defend themselves) and suddenly there is an awesome tactic in the divorce wars that gets the man out of the house, seizes his bank accounts, and kidnaps his children.

The DV is a billion dollar industry at this point, with tens of thousands of DV trainers, judges, lawyers, court clerks, police, etc, all participating in a GROWTH industry.

And what better way to promote growth than continuously expand the definition of DV until men are only allowed to look at the floor, as slaves once were required.

[JoeMomma]

10:37 PM on 05/02/2012

How would they know? They spend all their time writing traffic tickets.

[jf12]

05:36 PM on 05/02/2012

All such studies have concluded that when the man is unemployed, the relationship suffers. Only the man's unemployment matters.

[realitytrumpsbull]

03:31 PM on 05/02/2012

What happens to the American Scream, when the financial wheels fall off? Much hate and discontent across the land...don't take it out on your beloved/intended. If you're under a lot of pressure, and not happy and stuff, be honest with the one you've married or taken as your own, and go find a way to get some 'happy time', or avail yourself of various resources to get some help.

[whitefat]

03:02 PM on 05/02/2012

America is a very uncivilized country. who came here first, convicted, murderer, thiefs, thugs , criminals and uneducated uncivilized COW BOYS. Am ericans are very brutal by their nature

[realitytrumpsbull]

03:32 PM on 05/02/2012

How different are we, honestly, from a lot of other countries, anymore? Most people want a roof overhead, car in the driveway, the basics. What happens when you can't get em, or you're financially overextended, and stuff's just not working out for whatever reason?

[ok3apples]

01:58 PM on 05/02/2012

A civilized society is one in which everyone is able to support themselves and their children. Imagine the stress of not being able to feed your children well, of blaming yourself for this failure and internalizing all the messages about success beamed constantly from billboards, radios, movies, and so on. This is no surprise is it? Another reason why family planning is so vital and sex education for teens so necessary.

[whitefat]

03:05 PM on 05/02/2012

AMERICA IS NOT A CIVILIZED SOCIETY. THERE IS NO FAMILY VALUES. 50% DIVORCE RATE. HIGH CRIME. STILL PLUNDERING OTHER COUNTRIES'S WEALTH. WAR AFTER WAR JUST FOR LOOTING OIL

is this you call civilized society.
may be in americans dictionary

[ruburnt]

10:58 PM on 05/02/2012

If America's looting oil by going to war...Why are our gas prices so high?

[realitytrumpsbull]

03:35 PM on 05/02/2012

Income. Much in this life depends on having steady income. If your personal financial situation is bad, then you need to spend a fair amount of time working on how to improve your income level. And, after that, work with people that really understand personal finance-stuff to help manage your money. It's all about money, anymore. Money lets us buy the material things that make life nicer, more tolerable, more comfortable, more 'fun', but if your life has ZERO 'fun' in it anymore because you're chained to the wheel of the monthly billing cycle, it's DEFINITELY time to start making calls and sending emails and talking to folks that've seen it all before, and might have some insight to share. The beatings will continue, until morale improves.

[ok3apples]

05:20 PM on 05/02/2012

as if there are enough jobs for everyone wanting one. There aren't. And there are way too many minimum wage jobs that don't offer upward mobility. There just aren't all these financial options open to a majority of us. We are losing the middle class and the poor are growing exponentially. That's not a good recipe for a civilized country.