Violence Against Women

Violence Against Women

By Jackie O'Neal






Women are significantly more likely than men to be injured during an assault: 31.5 percent of female rape victims, compared with 16.1 percent of male rape victims, reported being injured during their most recent rape; 39.0 percent of female physical assault victims, compared with 24.8 percent of male physical assault victims, reported being injured during their most recent physical assault, a National Institute of Justice report, Full Report of the Prevalence , Incidence and Consequences of Violence Against Women by Patricia Tjaden and Nancy Thoennes revealed in 2000, based on survey results.

The researchers noted a total of 8,000 women and 8,005 men age 18 and older were interviewed using a computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) system.


Tjaden and Thonnes went on to affirm the risk of injury increases among female rape and physical assault victims when their assailant is a current or former intimate: Women who were raped or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabiting partner, boyfriend, or date were significantly more likely than women who were raped or physically assaulted by other types of perpetrators to report being injured during their most recent rape or physical assault.



Based on their survey, the researchers noted approximately one-third of injured female rape and physical assault victims receive medical treatment: 35.6 percent of the women injured during their most recent rape and 30.2 percent of the women injured during their most recent physical assault received medical treatment. Results from the survey indicate that 1 of 9 Americans—female and male alike—has been beaten since age 18. Results also indicate that 1 of 18 U.S. women and 1 of 8 U.S. men has been threatened with a gun since becoming an adult, while 1 of 43 U.S. women and 1 of 20 U.S. men has had a gun used on them.



Injury risk factors during rape were also taken into consideration, and the researchers noted the results that indicate that women who were raped as adults were significantly more likely to incur an injury (other than the rape itself) if they were raped by a current or former intimate partner; if their perpetrator threatened to harm or kill them or someone close to them at the time of the rape; if their perpetrator used a gun, knife, or other weapon during the rape; if the rape was completed; and if their perpetrator used drugs and/or alcohol at the time of the rape. The variable most likely to predict injury among adult female rape victims was whether the perpetrator threatened to harm or kill the victim or someone close to the victim at the time of the rape.



According to The Centers For Disease Control Each year, about 50,000 violent deaths occur in this country. Violent deaths, including homicides and suicides, cost the United States more than $52 billion in medical care and lost productivity every year.



Tjaden and Thonnes went on to note statistics estimate 2.1 million U.S. women who are raped and/or physically assaulted annually. Because some rape and physical assault victims experience multiple victimizations per year, an estimated 876,000 rapes and 5.9 million physical assaults, or 6.8 million rapes and physical assaults combined, are committed against U.S. women annually. Given the pervasiveness of rape and physical assault among American women, violence against women should be treated as a major criminal justice and public health concern.



The researchers pointed out that the annual rape victimization estimates are based on responses from only 24 women and should therefore be viewed with caution.



Further, the researchers asserted stalking is more prevalent than previously thought: 8.1 percent of surveyed women and 2.2 percent of surveyed men reported being stalked at some time in their life; 1.0 percent of women surveyed and 0.4 percent of men surveyed reported being stalked in the 12 months preceding the survey. Approximately 1 million women and 371,000 men are stalked annually in the United States. Based on U.S. Census estimates of the number of women and men in the country, one out of every 12 U.S. women (8.2 million) has been stalked at some time in her life, and one out

of every 45 U.S. men (2 million) has been stalked at some time in his life.



Leslie Bowman, author of Self-defense For Survival : The Road to Empowerment said she hopes her book will encourage women to become pro-active about their personal safety. "Women have all sorts of excuses for not learning to defend themselves. Among them are not having enough time, not being in good shape physically, having various medical conditions, not wanting to learn martial arts, and the worst of all-it can't happen to me. Sometimes people become victims of violent acts no matter how careful or aware of potential danger they may be. In cases like this, self-defense survival strategies can save a life. The prevention strategies and self-defense survival techniques in this book are suitable for women and children of all ages. With education and awareness, you can increase your self-confidence and learn to prevent and avoid potential violence attacks, " she said.



Leslie Bowman is a full time instructional designer and online professor in Education, Technology, Sociology, English, Communications, and Criminal Justice. She has 15 years of elementary public school teaching experience and has been teaching undergraduate and graduate college and university courses for the past ten years.

Bowman also has several years of experience in the private security industry focusing on child abuse and domestic investigations, retail asset protection, and violence prevention/threat assessment related to school and personal safety.


When asked what prompted her to write the book, Bowman said she was working in the private security industry and taking self defense classes, hence she received a trainer certificate and began teaching children, teens, and adults about personal safety.


Bowman envisions her book may impact her readers strongly enough that they will consider taking self-defense training. "I hope that after reading my book, people will be more aware of the potential dangers in their surroundings."

Bowman said she trained for two years in self-defense tactics as part of the process of researching the content for her book. She admits when she embarked on writing the book, there was an overall message she wanted to convey to her audience. "Be aware, trust your instincts, be prepared, and be safe," she said.