No woman should live in fear, uncertainty, or receive physical or mental abuse from another individual. Many women suffer the consequences of domestic violence and are at a loss as to what to do or where to go. They often hide signs of abuse from friends, family, and co-workers, and the situation worsens out of fear and embarrassment. Domestic abuse isn’t solely limited to the home. It can often cross over into the woman’s workday, in the form of threatening office phone calls, harassing emails, or stalking the workplace. These domestic violence facts will reveal to you the effects and signs of domestic violence so you can identify and prevent scenarios before they escalate.

Domestic Violence Facts:

In the United States, approximately 5.3 million women age 18 or older are domestically abused each year, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control. These women are abused physically, verbally, and sexually by past or previous partners.

Each day four women in the U.S. die as a result of domestic violence.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, domestic violence acts generally fall into one or more of the following categories:

Physical: The victim suffers physical attacks at the hand of the attacker. The outcome can range from light bruising, slapping, punching, and in a worse case scenario, murder. Be aware that most domestic violence begins with small and infrequent events of verbal abuse. This verbal abuse may then escalate into frequent physical attacks, with rough contact and serious consequences to the victim.

Sexual: More often then not, physical attacks are accompanied by sexual violence, or sexual violence is the end result.

Psychological: Not to be taken lightly, psychological or mental abuse, such as possessive behavior, the destruction of personal property, verbal abuse, harassment, and deprivation of money are other forms of domestic abuse.

Domestic Violence Fact: Domestic Violence Follows Women to the Workplace

Although domestic violence doesn’t appear to be a work-related problem, it is. Sustained abuse, threatening behavior, and acts of violence do go beyond women’s home environment and affect them at work.

Domestic Violence Fact: 74% of US women who suffer abuse at home also experience abuse at their place of work, according to the Family Violence Prevention Fund study.

The domestic violent perpetrators use email, phones, and other workplace resources to check up on, pressure, or express anger towards their victims. They may even go as far as to show up to harass and threaten the victim’s co-workers.

Domestic Violence Fact: The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that approximately 20,000 workers are threatened or attacked in the workplace every year by their partner or spouse.

The effect? In America, domestic violence victims are absent approximately 8 million paid working days of the year. This is equivalent to 32,000 full-time jobs and $4.1 billion in health care costs for American businesses. This is especially damaging some individuals, who find themselves trapped in low paying positions due to frequent job changes because of low productivity and absenteeism. Domestic violence prevents them from receiving raises or increases in pay.

Domestic Violence Fact: Domestic abuse affects a woman’s ability to keep a job.

Look for warning sides that your co-workers are suffering from abuse.

• They become withdrawn socially.
• There is visible evidence of bruising and assault.
• They become agitated, angry, or cry when talking on the phone.
• They receive frequent personal calls.
• They’re absent or late often.
• You notice a decline in their job performance.

Remember to believe the victim and encourage her to talk about the situation. Avoid pressuring her. Respect her confidentiality and do not judge. Inform her she is not alone and not to blame.

Learn the domestic violence facts and become empowered. You have the ability to change how domestic violence affects females in the workplace. Raise awareness for this concern.

Bio: Erica Ronchetti is a freelance writer for Soroptimist International of the Americas, an organization working to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world. Learn more domestic violence facts and how you can raise domestic violence awareness at www.soroptimist.com. Or read the paper, “Domestic Violence as a Workplace Concern.”