
How Bad is the violence?
Bree Moore’s parents are glad you asked!
The appalling statistics here in Alaska are proof we desperately need to shift our focus to prevention; because how our state is currently handling domestic violence awareness is not working! This is clearly shown by the statistics:
In Alaska
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#1 in men killing women. In 2014, the year Bree Moore was killed, Alaska ranked #1 in men killing women at 3.15 women per 100,000, a rate over twice the national average. Alaska has ranked first in the nation in the past four years and these rates in Alaska are increasing. In the most recent year reported, 2017, Alaska is now three times the national average at 3.96 per 100,000. (Violence Policy Center- When Men Murder Women) http://www.vpc.org/revealing-the-impacts-of-gun-violence/female-homicide-victimization-by-males/
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#1 in Gun Deaths. 2017 https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/crime-courts/2018/01/05/with-35-homicides-in-2017-anchorage-set-a-disturbing-record-why/ Alaska: Gun death capital of the US: https://www.adn.com/features/health/article/alaskas-gun-death-epidemic/2016/03/11/ DATA VIZ: Alaska ranks number one in gun death rates http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Data-viz-Alaska-ranks-number-one-in-gun-death-rates-410313745.html
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#1 Alaska's Intimate partner violence. The University of Alaska Justice Center estimates that one out of every two Alaskan women will experience intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or both during her lifetime. In 2015, more than six percent of Alaskan women experienced intimate partner violence in the previous year. https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/academics/college-of-health/departments/justice-center/research/alaska-victimization-survey/alaska.cshtml
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#1 Alaska most dangerous state in America. Alaska is the most dangerous state in the United States in 2015 & 2016. Based on FBI’s four major violent crime categories: murder, aggravated assault, robbery, and incidents of forcible rape. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/01/03/24-7-wall-st-most-dangerous-states/21214169/
http://www.ktva.com/story/37361490/alaska-deemed-most-dangerous-state-in-us-in-new-report
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#1 Alaska leads the nation in rapes. Alaska leads the nation in rapes per capita - three times national average. http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/11/fbi-alaska-leads-nation-in-rapes-per-capita/
https://www.cnn.com/2014/02/03/opinion/sutter-alaska-rape-list/index.html
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#1 in Suicide. According to a 2015 survey released by the Centers for Disease Control, for every 10,000 people in Alaska 23 die by suicide. http://www.alaskapublic.org/interactive/?page_id=264
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#1 Highest domestic violence rate in America - Alaska http://www.insidermonkey.com/blog/11-states-that-have-highest-domestic-violence- rates-in-america-382572/?singlepage=1
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#1 Alaska most dangerous state for online dating http://www.ktva.com/story/37463493/alaska-most-dangerous-state-for-online-dating-report-says
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#2 & #3 Most dangerous cities for women. Anchorage and Fairbanks are #2 and #3 on a Forbes list of the nation's most dangerous cities for women. https://www.forbes.com/pictures/lml45jfem/americas-most-dangerous-cities-for-women/#6f80696e426a
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Intentional Teen Dating Violence. According to the 2015 Alaska Youth Risk Behavior Survey, approximately one in ten students in traditional high schools had dated someone in the past year had been physically hurt on purpose. That number significantly increased for alternative high school students. http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Chronic/Documents/yrbs/2015YRBS_Highlights.pdf http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Chronic/Pages/yrbs/yrbs17.aspx
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Dating violence is the leading cause of injury to women. Women Helping Women, Teen Dating Violence
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http://www.womenhelpingwomen.org/what-is-abuse/teen-dating-violence/
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https://www.womenhelpingwomen.org/home/news-and-media/media-kit/
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Physical and Sexual teen dating violence. Physical teen dating violence for high school students in Alaska is 30% and 20%, (respectively), higher than the national average. CDVSA, 2013 Alaska Dashboard: Key Issues Impacting Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in Alaska https://dps.alaska.gov/cdvsa/resources/alaska-dashboard
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#1 in Child Abuse & Neglect https://www.adn.com/crime-justice/article/iser-alaskas-repeat-child-maltreatment-worse-grim-statistics-already-suggest/2015/12/16/
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#1 Congratulations, Alaska: You’re the Foster Care Capital of America https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/blogger-co-op/congratulations-alaska-youre-foster-care-capital-america/24949
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#1 in Child Physical & Sexual Abuse For every 1,000 children in Alaska, 42.2 were victims of abuse. That means that every year, approximately 8,000 children in Alaska are physically or sexually abused. http://alaska.providence.org/locations/c/cares/abusefacts
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KTVA Safety study puts Alaska in bottom 10 https://www.ktva.com/story/38356995/safety-study-puts-alaska-in-bottom-10
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KTVA Report: Alaska violent crime rates significantly higher than national average https://www.ktva.com/story/39297921/report-alaska-violent-crime-rates-significantly-higher-than-national-average?fbclid=IwAR2m5KZ--hAx1VwVODZZdwbTAbOpINMTAf8B3qT8Z-UD5El039dc9kczXGo
One study found that 75 percent of teens that took a school course on teen dating violence said it helped them learn about the signs of abusive relationships.[xxv] Since teens spend more time in school than at home with their parents, schools and school-based curriculum have a profound ability to influence teens during their formative years when they are developing behaviorally and emotionally. Teachers can address these issues directly with teens, promote positive alternatives to violence, and address gender-based beliefs that can lead to violence.
In a study by the Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk, “The Need for School-Based Teen Dating Violence Prevention”, it states, “Teen dating violence is a public health priority. It is widespread, prevalent, and negatively affects adolescents’ mental, physical, and social health. Thus, we are in critical need of programs aimed at preventing dating violence and promoting healthy relationship skills. Not only will this improve the health and quality of life of children and adolescents, it has the potential to curb the prevalence of adult domestic violence. We firmly believe that the benefits of addressing dating violence (e.g., improved health) will result in improved academic performance and reduced truancy. The costs of implementing a prevention program is justified given the scope of teen dating violence, potential improvements in adolescent health outcomes, decreased need for youth to utilize services in the future (e.g., medical, behavioral, criminal justice), and the perceived need and appropriateness among educators for school-based prevention programs.”[xix]
“It is the opinion of the subcommittee that we need greater involvement of schools and the educational system in our drive to address teen dating violence.” - Teen Dating Violence: Next Steps in our National Response, A Report on Teen Dating Violence of the U.S. Justice Department
Nationwide
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Girls and young women between 16-24 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of partner violence.[i]
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Dating violence is the leading cause of injury to women.[ii]
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An intimate partner committed 22% of all homicides against females 16-19.[iii]
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100% of middle-schoolers thought that possessiveness and jealousy are part of true love. Based on testing done by Dr. Elizabeth Miller, a leading expert on teen dating violence.[iv]
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80% of girls who have been physically abused in their intimate relationships continue to date their abusers.[v]
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Half (50%) of all reported date rapes occur among teenagers.[vi]
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Violent behavior normally begins between the ages of 12-18.[vii]
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One in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence.[viii]
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40% of teenage girls ages 14-17 say they know someone their age that has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend.[ix]
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One in 10 high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend.[x]
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80% of teens that had been in an abusive relationship turned to a friend for help, not their parents or an authority figure.[xi]
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The severity of intimate partner violence is often greater in cases where the pattern of abuse was established in adolescence.[xii] About 72% of eight and ninth graders are “dating.”[xiii]
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81% of parents either believe teen-dating violence is not an issue or admit they don’t know if it’s an issue.[xiv]
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Violent relationships in adolescence can have serious ramifications by putting the victims at higher risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior and further domestic violence.[xv]
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Being physically or sexually abused makes teen girl six times more likely to become pregnant and twice as likely to get a sexually transmitted infection.[xvi]
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Girls who were recent targets of dating violence were 61% more likely to attempt suicide.[xvii]
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The cost of domestic violence to the US economy is more than $8.3 billion.[xviii]
“If the numbers we see in domestic violence were applied to terrorism or gang violence, the entire country would be up in arms, and it would be the lead story on the news every night.”
- Former Rep. Mark Green, Wisconsin
Links:
[i] Women Helping Women, Teen Dating Violence
http://www.womenhelpingwomen.org/what-is-abuse/teen-dating-violence/
[ii] Women Helping Women, Teen Dating Violence
http://www.womenhelpingwomen.org/what-is-abuse/teen-dating-violence/
[iii] Teen Dating Violence Facts
http://www.clotheslineproject.org/teendatingviolencefacts.pdf
Bureau of Justice Statistics Press Release, “Violence Rates Among Intimate Partners Differ Greatly According to Age,” (10/29/01).
[iv] Shannon Mehner, Teens often view abusive dating behavior as normal. Medill Reports Chicago.
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=163015
[v] Kristin’s Krusade, Domestic Violence Statistics
http://www.kristinskrusade.org/resources/dv-statistics/ City of New York, Teen Relationship Abuse Fact Sheet, March 1998
[vi] Teen Dating Violence Facts
http://www.clotheslineproject.org/teendatingviolencefacts.pdf
California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) 2002 Report: Research on Rape and Violence, http://www.uasasonoma.org/teensite/statistics.htm#Child/Teen%20Vicitmization
[vii] Dating Abuse Statistics,
http://www.loveisrespect.org/pdf/Dating_Abuse_Statistics.pdf
Rosado, Lourdes, The Pathways to Youth Violence; How Child Maltreatment and Other Risk Factors Lead Children to Chronically Aggressive Behavior. 2000. American Bar Association Juvenile Justice Center.
[viii] Dating Abuse Statistics,
http://www.loveisrespect.org/pdf/Dating_Abuse_Statistics.pdf Davis, Antoinette, MPH. 2008.
Interpersonal and Physical Dating Violence among Teens, The National Council on Crime and Delinquency Focus http://www.nccd-crc.org/nccd/pubs/2008_focus_teen_dating_violence.pdf
[ix] Women Helping Women, Teen Dating Violence
http://www.womenhelpingwomen.org/what-is-abuse/teen-dating-violence/
[x] Love is Respect, Dating Abuse Statistics,
http://www.loveisrespect.org/pdf/Dating_Abuse_Statistics.pdf
Grunbaum JA, Kann L, Kinchen S, et al. 2004. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2003. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 53(SS02); 1-96.
[xi] Soroptimist International of the Americas, Learn About Teen Dating Violence, Its Risk-Factors and Consequences, As Well As Preventative Efforts
https://www.soroptimist.org/whitepapers/whitepaperdocs/wpteendatingviolence.pdf
[xii] Love is Respect, Dating Abuse Statistics,
http://www.loveisrespect.org/pdf/Dating_Abuse_Statistics.pdf
S.L. Feld & M.A. Strauss, Criminology, 27, 141-161, (1989).
[xiii] Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, Dating Violence Research
http://www.nj.gov/lps/dcj/hrc/pdfs/Teen-Dating-Violence_research .pdf
[xiv] Love is Respect, Dating Abuse Statistics,
http://www.loveisrespect.org/pdf/Dating_Abuse_Statistics.pdf
Women’s Health,” June/July 2004, Family Violence Prevention Fund and Advocates for Youth,
http://www.med.umich.edu/whp/newsletters/summer04/p03-dating.html.
[xv] Love is Respect, Dating Abuse Statistics,
http://www.loveisrespect.org/pdf/Dating_Abuse_Statistics.pdf
Jay G. Silverman, PhD; Anita Raj, PhD; Lorelei A. Mucci, MPH; Jeanne E. Hathaway, MD, MPH, “Dating Violence
Against Adolescent Girls and Associated Substance Use, Unhealthy Weight Control, Sexual Risk Behavior, Pregnancy,
and Suicidality” JAMA. 2001;286(5):572-579. doi:10.1001/jama.286.5.572
[xvi] Love is Respect, Dating Abuse Statistics,
http://www.loveisrespect.org/pdf/Dating_Abuse_Statistics.pdf
Decker M, Silverman J, Raj A. 2005. Dating Violence and Sexually Transmitted Disease/HIV Testing and Diagnosis
Among Adolescent Females. Pediatrics. 116: 272-276.
[xvii] Soroptimist International of the Americas, Learn About Teen Dating Violence, Its Risk-Factors and Consequences, As Well As Preventative Efforts
https://www.soroptimist.org/whitepapers/whitepaperdocs/wpteendatingviolence.pdf Reuters, Suicide Attempts by Teens Linked with Assault. June 4, 2007. Accessed on February 14, 2013 from http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/06/04/us-suicide-assault-idUSKRA47436320070604>
[xviii] NCAVD, National Statistics
http://www.ncadv.org/learn/statistics
[xix] Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk, Need for School-Based Teen Dating Violence Prevention
http://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1136&context=childrenatrisk