In one year alone 12.7 million men and women in the U.S. are physically abused, raped or stalked by their partners. That is approximately the number of people in New York City and Los Angeles combined. That is 24 people every minute.

A more important thing to ask is "Why does he abuse?" 

By focusing on the survivor instead of the abuser, we are unintentionally blaming the survivor for the abuse. 

All children are affected by the violence in their homes. Regardless of whether or not our children have been physically abused, watching their mother being battered is a frightening experience. Children from violent homes can exhibit a variety of behaviors. Some may "act out" and may be viewed as delinquent.

Did You Know?

- One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.

- An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year.

- 85% of domestic violence victims are women.

The Power & Control diagram is a particularly helpful tool in understanding the overall pattern of abusive and violent behaviors, which are used by a batterer to establish and maintain control over his partner. Very often, one or more violent incidents are accompanied by an array of these other types of abuse. They are less easily identified, yet . . .