by Sunshine Simmons

Created on: January 13, 2010

1 in 3 women are physically abused by their husband or boyfriend every year in the U.S. according to a survey done in 1998 by the Commonwealth Fund.  That is one third of the female population.  That same statistic wraps around the world.  According to Family Violence Prevention Fund, it’s estimated that 960,000 incidents of domestic violence occur every year against a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend.  In 2001, 588,490 were reported, and only 15% of them are men being abused.  An estimated 324,000 American women experience intimate partner violence during their pregnancy.  Thirty percent of Americans say they know a woman who has been physically abused by her husband or boyfriend in the past year.  1 in 5 high school students report being raped or physically abused every year.  Fifty percent of men who abuse their wives also abuse their children. 

More than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in the U.S. every day.  In 2000, 1,247 women and 440 men were killed by an intimate partner.  Pregnant women are more likely to be victims of homicide than to die of any other cause. 

The cost of domestic violence to the greater public is immense.  On average, the cost of mental health and medical services, shelters, and aid are estimated at 5.8 billion dollars each year. 

Domestic violence isn’t usually an easy thing to see coming.  In the beginning of a relationship, the abuser can make you feel like the most beautiful, amazing, and important person on the planet, laying the world at your feet.  There isn’t usually a defining moment when the abuse starts, because if there was, more women would walk away early on.

 Abuse in a marriage starts slowly as the abuser attempts to break down the spirit of their spouse, and everything they do is easily explained away, minimizing the behavior.  It may start with control of finances, or small putdowns that are easily discarded by the abuser, making you feel like you are overacting, or that you’re crazy.

There are many types of abuse that can go on in a marriage including: Physical, mental, economical, verbal, and emotional.  All are very real, and cause very real damage.  Here are some examples of abuse:

Emotional abuse is when your spouse makes you feel bad about yourself and that you’re not good enough.  Some ways your spouse may be emotionally abusive are:

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