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WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?
Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats, economic, and emotional/psychological abuse. The frequency and severity of domestic violence varies dramatically.
- 1 in 3 Texans will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.1
- Girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence, almost triple the national average.2
- A recent meta-analysis has shown that "domestic violence incidents increased 8.1% after jurisdictions imposed pandemic-related lockdown orders."3
- Protective orders are as much as 80% effective in reducing future violence.4
WHAT IS STALKING?
Stalking includes repeated unwanted contacts or behaviors that caused the victim to experience fear or substantial emotional distress or would cause a reasonable person to experience fear or substantial emotional distress. Not only is stalking often an indicator of other forms of violence, it has been linked to femicide, the murder of women and girls.
- 1 in 4 women and 1 in 13 men reported being a victim of stalking in their lifetime.5
- 76% of women murdered by an intimate partner were stalked first, while 85% of women who survived murder attempts were stalked.6
WHAT IS SEXUAL VIOLENCE?
Sexual violence is an umbrella term that includes any sexual behaviors or sexual acts that are committed against a person’s will. Sexual violence can affect people of all genders throughout their lives and can be perpetrated by strangers or people who are known to the victim-survivor.
- More than 1 in 3 women and more than 1 in 4 men in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime."7
- 33% of sexual assaults are committed by a current or former intimate partner.8
WHAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING?
Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons, is a crime that involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sex acts. The coercion can be subtle or overt, physical or psychological. Exploitation of a minor for commercial sex is human trafficking, regardless of whether any form of force, fraud, or coercion was used.