Domestic Violence by the Numbers: A Look into the Statistics Behind the Trauma

For the second day of 16 days of Activism, it’s important to understand domestic violence by the numbers and the prevalence of this topic on a global scale. Domestic violence takes on many forms, some including physical abuse, emotional abuse and sexual abuse, whereby a pattern of damaging negative behaviour leads to profound impacts on the lives of millions of victims around the world. Many people conclude that gender-based violence is an isolated issue that has nothing to do with the larger community, although many studies show that it creates generational trauma that affects individuals, families, communities and the larger society. The cost of caring for these victims and the children of these victims is an ongoing process by the larger community because the pain associated with the trauma lasts a lifetime. A report by a domestic violence shelter found that the lifetime economic cost of medical services, criminal justice, and loss of work due to domestic violence has totalled approximately $103,767 for women and $23,414 for men. Recovering from such trauma includes help from many service workers as well as living family to provide a safe space that has been taken away from the victim. 

Gender-based violence impacts everyone and has a greater cost on society than many people realize, and just looking at the number of individuals who have experienced domestic violence in the world is a key indicator of the importance of the issue. StatsCan found that there were 24,136 children and youth under 17 who were victims of family violence in Canada in 2022, where girls accounted for 6 in 10 of these victims – approximately 63%. In 2022, there were 117,093 victims of domestic violence, where 78% were women and girls. In looking at the United States as another case study, one sees similar numbers, where an average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape or physical violence by an intimate partner. To understand the gravity of the situation and how widespread it has become, domestic violence impacts 12 million people every year. There are countless statistics available for every country in the world that showcase the alarmingly high rates of domestic violence, indicating that this isn’t simply a singular experience but is more indicative of society's norms and values. Gender-based violence impacts us all; it is all around us, and it is far more common than people realize. Looking at statistics can uncover the earth-shattering numbers of violence perpetuated towards women and girls, but ultimately, it tells us to care for others and provide a safe space to allow people to thrive and grow. It is important to be aware that gender-based violence affects us all, and it isn’t until we recognize this that we can stop the cycle of abuse.