from the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence website

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE STATISTICS

Domestic Violence Fatalities in Washington State

A total of 205 people were murdered between 1997 and 2001 in Washington state in 184 domestic violence-related homicide incidents. The majority of these were women killed by their current or former husbands or boyfriends (58% of the homicide victims).

At least one-third of women murdered in Washington state each year are killed by their current or former intimate partner. (About a third of homicides are unsolved each year, so the proportion could be higher.)
At least 119 women were murdered by their current or former intimate partner between 1997 and 2001. (This number most likely represents an undercount, as a significant portion of women's homicides are unsolved, some homicides may mistakenly be classified as accidents, and some missing women cases may actually be homicides.)

Some domestic violence abusers kill their children along with their partners, or instead of their partner. Between 1997 and 2001, abusers killed at least 17 children in the context of violence towards their intimate partner.

It is not just battered women and their children who are at risk. Abusers also killed an additional 38 people between 1997 and 2001. These victims included the mothers, siblings, friends, and neighbors of the murderers' intimate partners as well as three law enforcement officers.

Homicide-suicides comprise a significant portion of domestic violence homicides: In 29% of the domestic violence homicide incidents, the abuser killed himself as well. Guns are the most common weapon used in domestic violence homicides. Abusers used guns to kill 60% of the domestic violence homicide victims.

Source: Washington State Domestic Violence Fatality Review Project
Domestic Violence in Washington State
Washington Police Departments responded to 51,550 domestic violence calls in 2000.
These included homicides, rapes, assaults, robberies, and arsons (see Appendix A for breakdown by county).
Victims of domestic violence reported 12,110 violations of Protection Orders in 2000.
Source: Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs,
Crime In Washington Report,
2000

The Washington State Domestic Violence Fatality Review (DVFR) defines a domestic violence fatality as any fatality caused by a domestic violence perpetrator's efforts to gain power and control over their intimate partner. This differs from Washington's legal definition of domestic violence; thus, the DVFR's statistics differ from those reported by official legal resources, such as the Washington State Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

Covering Domestic Violence: A guide for journalists and other media professionals Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence

In 2001, domestic violence programs provided emergency shelter to a total of 6,727 battered women and children. Because of space and funding limitations, domestic violence programs had to refuse 32,957 requests for shelter.
Washington state domestic violence programs served 25,031 adults and children in 2001. Services provided include: support groups, help obtaining protection orders, legal advocacy, shelter and individual counseling.

The Washington State Domestic Violence Hotline answered 27,994 calls in 2001. Source: Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Children's Administration General Facts about DV

In a national survey, almost 25% of women reported having been assaulted or raped by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime.

Approximately 1.5 million women are physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually in the United States. Since many women experience multiple victimizations every year, an estimated 5.9 million physical assaults are perpetrated against U.S. women annually.

Source:
Extent, Nature and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey,
Patricia Tjaden and Nancy Thoennes for the National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control, 1998
y Women are the victims of intimate violence significantly more often than men. Intimate partner violence accounted for 22% of the violent crimes against women in 2000 compared to 3% of the violent crimes against men.
Source: US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics,
Violence by Intimates,
2000

The majority of women murdered by their current or former intimate partners are either estranged, separated or in the process of leaving the relationship. In Washington, at least half and perhaps more of the domestic violence fatalities occurred after or as the battered woman was attempting to leave. In a Florida study, 60% of the women killed were separated or in the process of leaving.
Source: Washington State Domestic Violence Fatality Review Project, and Neil Websdale,
Understanding Domestic Homicide,
Northeastern University Press, 1999

The U.S. Department of Justice reported that 37% of all women who sought care in hospital emergency rooms for violence-related injuries were injured by a current or former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend.
Source: Michael R. Rand,
Violence-related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments,
U.S.
Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, August 1997

Covering Domestic Violence: A guide for journalists and other media professionals Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Fifty percent of men who frequently assault their wives also frequently assault their children, and the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect suggests that domestic violence may be the single major precursor to child abuse and neglect fatalities in this country.
Source: M. Straus, R. Gelles, and C. Smith,
Physical Violence in American Families: Risk Factors and Adaptations to Violence in 8,145 Families,
1990 and U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect,
A
Nation's Shame: Fatal child abuse and neglect in the United States: Fifth report, Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, 1995

The Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence can provide local, state, and national statistics on domestic violence. Interviews with Coalition staff can assist journalists in accurately reflecting the context of domestic violence crimes, local resources available for victims and perpetrators, and the opinions of experts in the field. Please contact Nan Stoops, Executive Director, at 206-389-2515 ext. 103 or by email at nan@wscadv.org.

States' Results

A Word About Collecting Statistics on Domestic Violence Homicides of Women; Overall Domestic Homicide Reduction 1976-1997; States and Major Cities Reporting the Fewest Domestic Violence Homicides; Summary of Large Cities' Domestic Homicide Rates; and Why the Reduction in Domestic Homicides? Please click on these titles for access to this vital information.

Summary of Large Cities' Domestic Homicide Rates

Following are the domestic violence homicide rates of women eighteen and older by intimate partners, for the largest United States cities (250,000 or more) ranked from largest to smallest.

City 1995, 1996, 1997 City 1995, 1996, 1997
New York City, NY 29 31 30 Virginia Beach, VA 1 * 1
Los Angeles, CA 22 22 12 Honolulu, HI 3 3 4
Chicago, IL 32 23 20 Long Beach, CA 3 6 4
Houston, TX 14 20 15 Albuquerque, NM 2 6 6
Philadelphia, PA 15 15 12 Atlanta, GA 8 5 8
San Diego, CA 7 6 11 Fresno, CA 6 4 3
Phoenix, AZ 10 4 6 Tulsa, OK 2 2 2
San Antonio, TX 4 2 7 Las Vegas, NV 14 7 10
Dallas, TX 3 5 4 Sacramento, CA 5 11 8
Detroit, MI 5 5 5 Oakland, CA 5 1 3
San Jose, CA 2 3 3 Miami, FL 2 1 *
Indianapolis, IN 9 3 1 Omaha, NE 1 1 3
San Francisco, CA 6 5 2 Minneapolis, MN 3 1 4
Jacksonsville, FL 3 4 * St. Louis, MO 13 6 4
Baltimore, MD 12 18 10 Pittsburgh, PA 1 2 4
Columbus, OH 3 2 4 Cincinnati, OH 2 0 *
El Paso, TX 3 2 6 Colorado Springs, CO 4 1 *
Memphis, TN 2 8 11 Mesa, AZ 1 1 0
Milwaukee, WI 4 3 1 Wichita, KS * * *
Boston, MA 7 3 1 Toledo, OH 3 0 1
Washington, DC 3 * 1 Buffalo, NY 1 1 1
Austin, TX * 7 2 Santa Ana, CA * 1 *
Seattle, WA 5 2 2 Arlington, TX 0 0 1
Nashville, TN 4 5 5 Anaheim, CA 3 * 1
Cleveland, OH 6 1 5 Tampa, FL 8 1 *
Denver, CO 6 3 6 Corpus Christi, TX 3 0 2
Portland, OR 2 5 6 Newark, NJ 1 * *
Fort Worth, TX 9 7 5 Louisville, KY 7 4 0
New Orleans, LA 2 4 8 St. Paul, MN 1 3 0
Oklahoma City, OK 5 4 4 Birmingham, AL 2 2 4
Tucson, AZ 3 2 2 Riverside, CA 4 7 6
Charlotte, NC 3 3 3 Aurora, CO 1 1 3
Kansas City, MO 3 3 3 Anchorage, AK 6 * 1
*Data not available (four cities) or not able to be confirmed.

Facts are courtesy of U.S. Dept. of Justice, The Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Supplemental Homicide Reports).