Domestic Violence in the News
Judi Casey April 15th, 2009
Unfortunately, we continue to hear about cases of domestic violence in the local, national and international news almost every day. As you probably know, domestic or intimate partner violence affects people in all walks of life from low-income families, to blue collar and middle class families, to high earners and celebrities. It is a pervasive societal problem that impacts individuals and their families of all races and religions from around the world. It is a serious criminal justice, economic, public health and mental health issue.
A (2008) World Health Organization Fact Sheet on Violence against Women reports that a 10-country study on women’s health and domestic violence found “between 15% and 71% of women reported physical or sexual violence by a husband or partner,” and “many women said that their first sexual experience was not consensual (24% in rural Peru, 28% in Tanzania, 30% in rural Bangladesh, and 40% in South Africa).”
A 2006 study by the United Nations …finds that, in all nations of the world, violence against women persists as a pervasive scourge, endangering women’s lives and violating their rights. The study says that such violence also impoverishes families and communities, drains government resources and restricts economic development.
The Sloan Network has compiled information about domestic violence. In particular, we’ve focused on the impact of domestic violence at the workplace in the April 2008 Network News, an issue of the Effective Workplace Series, a Topic Page and a Fact Sheet. We just posted a new Work and Family Encyclopedia Entry: Domestic Violence and Work: Legal and Business Perspectives, by Marcy Karin and Paula Shapiro.
For public policy or advocacy groups, we’ve compiled a Policy Brief on Supporting Workers Experiencing Domestic Violence as well as a 2005-2007 Legislative Summary Sheet of US Bills on Domestic Violence and the Workplace (link).
