Highlights
Violence against women in the US is often greater than that against men. That was not the case in the past.
In 2023, 85,000 women were murdered by men – United Nations report.
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Author
Leonard Adam Sipes, Jr.
Former senior crime prevention and statistics specialist at the Ministry of Justice Clearinghouse. Former Director of Information Services, National Crime Prevention Council. Former adjunct associate professor of criminology and public affairs at the University of Maryland, University College. Former police officer. Retired federal senior spokesperson.
Former advisor to presidential and gubernatorial campaigns. Former advisor to the national media campaign “McGruff-Take a Bite Out of Crime.” Successful media campaigns against crime produced by the state.
Thirty-five years leading award-winning (50+) public relations for state and national criminal justice agencies. Interviewed thousands of times by every national news outlet, often focusing on crime statistics and research. Created the first state and federal podcast series. Produced a unique and emulated style of proactive government public relations.
Certificate of Advanced Study – Johns Hopkins University.
Author of ”Media Success: Everything You Need to Survive Reporters and Your Organization‘ available from Amazon and other booksellers.
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Editorial Notes
The US crime data below is from the National Crime Victimization Survey, Bureau Of Justice Statistics of the US Department of Justice. I use survey data and not crimes reported to police through the FBI due to the lack of reporting of interpersonal crimes.
Parts of this article use verified Open AI data.
Article
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On my first domestic violence call as a police officer, we encountered a woman being hit with a frying pan by her husband. Having never witnessed an act of domestic violence before, it was a shocking event that deeply disturbed me.
It was my introduction to violence against women and interpersonal violence. A series of recent data releases on violence against women led to this article.
The rate of violence among men exceeded that of women, until it didn’t
There was a time before 2015 when the rate of violent crime among men generally exceeded that of women. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the number of violent crime victims among women was higher than among men in 2015.
This marked a significant shift, as men historically experienced higher rates of violent crime. The Bureau of Justice Statistics writes this in its annual report.
A review of the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ annual reports shows that the largest increase in victimization among women over that period occurred in 2015, with women generally leading the way in overall violence or serious violence from 2015 to 2017.
Latest data from Criminal victimization From the Bureau of Justice Statistics
The data below shows that in 2023, women will have a higher percentage of criminal victims than men in terms of the total number of violent crimes and violent crimes excluding simple assaults (also known as serious violent crimes). Violent victimization among men and women was essentially the same for all violent crime in 2022.
Violent crimes against women usually involve known perpetrators, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV): Women are disproportionately victims of intimate partner violence, including physical violence, rape and stalking by current or former partners. The NCVS consistently reports higher rates of IPV for women than for men.
Known perpetrators: Women are more likely than men to be victims of someone they know, such as a family member, friend or acquaintance. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to be victims of strangers
Sexual violence: The majority of victims of sexual violence are women, and these crimes are mainly committed by high-profile individuals, further emphasizing the interpersonal nature of violence against women.
Although not all violent crimes against women are interpersonal, a significant proportion of victims arise from relational dynamics. This contrasts with violent crimes against men, which more often involve strangers and occur in public settings.
Black women and girlsOffice of Justice Programs
Black women and girls are disproportionately affected by violence, human trafficking, and systematic neglect, leading to high rates of disappearances and increased risk of homicide. Although they make up a significant portion of missing persons cases in the U.S., their stories often go underreported and unnoticed by national media and law enforcement. According to the National Crime Information Center, of the 271,493 girls and women reported missing in 2022, 97,924, or more than 36 percent, were black, despite the fact that black women and girls made up only 14 percent of the U.S. female population at the time. .
In 2023, 85,000 women were murdered by men – report by The United Nations
A recent report from the United Nations shedding light on and exposing the disturbing reality of violence against women worldwide An average of 140 women are murdered every day (emphasis added) usually at the hands of those closest to them. The report, which examined femicide – the gender-based killing of women – raised alarming concerns about women’s safety, especially in their own homes, with intimate partners and family members being the main perpetrators.
A staggering result in 2023 alone 85,000 women were murdered by men (emphasis added). Of these, more than 51,000 were murdered by their husbands or close relatives, underscoring the intimate and dangerous nature of the violence women face. Shockingly, the report stated that 60% of all cases of murder of women were committed by male relatives, highlighting the vulnerability of women in their own households.
Conclusions
I made a podcast with four female perpetrators who unexpectedly told me about their sexual abuse as children by family or people they knew. Research shows that 50 to 80% of incarcerated women have experienced physical or sexual abuse at some point in their lives. This includes violence in childhood (e.g. sexual abuse by family members) and adulthood (e.g. intimate partner violence) per year Urban Institute and Amnesty International USA
I have read data in which a rehabilitation program in Boston showed that almost all women surveyed reported sexual abuse and violence in children and adults.
I attended a group meeting for men who were on probation and had been convicted of intimate partner abuse. Many couldn’t understand why it was illegal to hit their significant others.
I’m not sure what happened when I was told as a young man that only cowards affect women and circumstances today. As a former police officer, husband and father of two daughters, I feel like this issue is becoming extremely important.
Few female perpetrators can completely escape a history of abuse; it leads to substance and mental health problems. It was once suggested to me that a sexually abused woman (by people she knew) would never be able to overcome her trauma without intensive counseling and treatment.
I did public affairs training at a women’s prison (they had a culinary arts program, so free food). I took a two-hour break in the courtyard while others gave their presentations. I was surrounded by female prisoners who told me that prison was the first time in their lives that they were not beaten or abused by men. They received medical care and vocational training. They told me that prison was often a better alternative than living in the community.
Police officers on patrol have limited options to stop the abuse of girls and women. Most happen in residential environments. This becomes much more of a social issue than a criminal law initiative (which applies to all forms of violence).
Crimes against women (and honestly all violence) should be a priority for every member of society. Whether it’s extremely violent and sexist ‘music’ or other forms of ‘entertainment’, the promotion of violence must stop, and only society and the entertainment industry have that power.
Sources
See the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
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