Georgia family violence and sexual assault statistics report

Domestic Violence

1. In the state of Georgia, domestic violence continues to be one of the leading causes of

injuries for women and girls between the ages of 15 and 44 years. 2. The state of Georgia ranks 14th in the country for female homicide rates where men kill

women in single-victim homicides. Many of these homicides are due to domestic

violence.

3. Of the domestic violence fatalities which occurred between 2004 and 2008, 97% of the

victims were female and 97% of the perpetrators were male. In 45% of those incidents,

children were present during the homicide, 17% of children actually witnessed the

homicidal incident, and another 5% were killed during the homicidal incident.

4. There were 118 domestic violence fatalities in 2007 and 111 in 2008. Of the 118

fatalities in 2007, 77 were primary victims (nearly all women), 14 were secondary

victims, and 27 were alleged perpetrators.

5. A total of 76,572 crisis calls were made in 2008 to Georgia's certified domestic violence

agencies.

6. In 2007 law enforcement officers responded to a total of 64,464 domestic violence

incidents in the state.

7. The Georgia Department of Human Services funds 46 domestic violence programs

statewide. Funding for fiscal year 2010 will be about $12 million. Several of the funded

program areas include:

a. Atlanta

d. Gainesville

b. Augusta

e. Savannah

c. Columbus

8. In 2008 7,762 victims and their children were provided shelter in a domestic violence

shelter.

9. 3,315 victims were turned away from a Georgia domestic violence shelter in 2008 due

to lack of space.

10. 32% of domestic violence incidents were perpetrated by a present or former spouse of

the victim.

11. Domestic Violence services and trainings provided in 2008:

a. A total of 15,191 TANF Domestic Violence Assessments were conducted.

b. A total of 177,648 referrals were made to social service agencies.

c. 22,945 case plans were developed by domestic violence shelters.

d. For the safety plans that are required for residential and non-residential clients,

a total of 14,864 residential clients and 63,808 non-residential clients completed

safety plans.

e. 205,976 domestic violence professionals participated in trainings.

12. Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) 2008 Uniform Crime Reporting Summary Report:

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a. The GBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program is derived from the FBI's national program standards. Using these national standards, crime data including the number of serious criminal offenses reported to or investigated by Georgia law enforcement as well as all crime arrests are collected from all law enforcement agencies in the state. This data in this report is used to portray crime in the state of Georgia, as well as provide comparisons throughout the U.S. the data represented in this report does not include estimates of incidents and arrests that might have occurred but were not reported.
b. A total of 58,420 family violence incidents were reported in 2008. Of this number, 10,919 children were present during the incidents, and 19,501 children were involved in these incidents.
c. In 54% of the incidents, a hand and/or fist were the primary weapon used. d. 27% of the aggressors were present spouses of the victims. e. 9% of aggressors were parents of the victims. f. Arrests were made by law enforcement in 32% of the incidents, and no action by
law enforcement taken in 17% of the incidents. 13. 2008 National Census of Domestic Violence Services-Georgia Summary:
a. Since 2005, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) conducted the National Census of Domestic Violence Services. The Census seeks to obtain a national unduplicated count of adults and children who access domestic violence services in a 24-hour period. The Census is conducted in a non-invasive manner and provides a "snapshot" of the amount of domestic violence services accessed on the specific day chosen. The Census does not seek to extrapolate or project annual numbers for domestic violence services accessed from the data obtained.
b. On September 17, 2008, 32 out of 48 domestic violence programs in Georgia participated in the 2008 National Census of Domestic Violence Services. The
c. survey was conducted in a 24-hour period, and assessed information about services provided by the 32 programs.
d. During that 24-hour period, a total of 1,549 victims were served. Out of this number, 914 of the victims sought refuge in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program.
e. During that same period, 635 adults and children received other non-residential services that included counseling, support groups, and legal advocacy.
f. Percentage of programs providing the following services during that 24-hour period: i. Emergency shelter: 97% ii. Individual support or advocacy: 88% iii. Support and advocacy for children: 78%

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iv. Transportation: 78% v. Legal advocacy: 75% vi. Group support: 59% vii. Transitional housing: 22% g. During the survey period, a total of 425 hotline calls were answered, which was an average of more than 18 calls per hour h. During the survey period, a total of 174 requests for services from victims were unmet due to shortage of funding, staff, and space. 100 of these requests were from victims seeking shelter or housing services. 14. National Domestic Violence Numbers: a. One in every 4 women will experience domestic violence at some point in her life. b. Every day in the U.S., more than 3 women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends. c. Homicide due to domestic violence is the leading cause of death for pregnant women. d. Among teens engaged in serious relationships, 1 in 5 reports having been slapped, hit, or pushed by a partner. 15. Domestic violence and children: a. More than half of female victims of intimate partner violence live in homes with children who are under the age of 12 years b. Each year, between 3.3 and 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence. c. Witnessing domestic violence between parents or guardians is the strongest risk factor for transmitting violent behavior in the future. d. Exposure to family violence has been linked with increased depression, anxiety, anger, substance use, and poor academic achievement. e. 75% of battered women report that their children are also physically and/or sexually abused. f. Children in homes with family violence are abused and neglected at a rate 1500% higher than the national average.
Sexual Assault
1. It is important to note that there is a shortage of sexual assault data for the state of Georgia. The most recent information obtained from the Georgia Department of Human Resources accounted for data collected through 2006. The GBI's Uniform Crime

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Reporting (UCR) Program's 2008 Summary Report provides the most recent data on forcible rape offenses reported by state law enforcement agencies that year. 2. Between October of 2004 and September of 2005, a total of 3,969 victims of sexual assault and attempted sexual assault were served by programs funded by the state of Georgia. It was found that among these victims:
a. 93% were female b. 84% knew their assailant c. 32% were African American and 47% were Caucasian d. 45% were between the ages of 12 and 24 years e. 25% were assaulted in their own home 16. The Georgia Department of Human Services funds 24 sexual assault programs statewide. Funding for fiscal year 2010 will be about $1.2 million. Several of the funded program areas include: f. Atlanta g. Augusta h. Columbus i. Gainesville j. Savannah 3. In 2008 there were a total of 6,199 crisis calls received for sexual assault. 4. The cost of one rape averages more than $60,000 in terms of lost wages and fees for medical and psychological treatment. 5. One in six women in the state of Georgia between the ages of 15 and 44 years has been forced to have sex against their will at least once in their lifetime. 6. Sexual Assault services and trainings provided in 2008: a. A total of 8,797 referrals were made to social service agencies. b. A total of 4,337 sexual assault professionals participated in trainings. 7. There is a shortage of services for sexual assault victims, particularly in Southern Georgia. 8. Georgia Bureau of Investigations 2008 Uniform Crime Reporting Summary Report: a. The GBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program is derived from the FBI's
national program standards. Using these national standards, crime data including the number of serious criminal offenses reported to or investigated by Georgia law enforcement as well as all crime arrests are collected from all law enforcement agencies in the state. This data in this report is used to portray crime in the state of Georgia, as well as provide comparisons throughout the U.S. the data represented in this report does not include estimates of incidents and arrests that might have occurred but were not reported.

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b. There were 2,236 rapes reported in 2008. This reported index translates into a rate of 23.1 rapes per 100,000 people. Of the total number of reported rapes, there were only 422 arrests made.
c. 1,177 of these rapes were reported in the Metro Atlanta area alone. d. The highest numbers of offenders arrested for forcible rape were between the
ages of 17 and 39 years. Eighty-five juveniles were arrested for forcible rape offenses in 2008. e. There were 282 "Non-White" persons arrested for rape offenses in 2008 compared with 140 of White offenders. 9. Year 2000 Georgia Sexual Assault Survey: a. Conducted in 2000 by Applied Research Services, Inc., this study represented the first attempt in Georgia to understand the availability, delivery, and quality of the services provided to sexual assault victims statewide. The project was funded by the Georgia Statistical Analysis Center, which is housed in the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. b. Profile of the Victims:
i. 98% were female ii. 56% were Caucasian, 38% were African American, and 6% were identified
as "Other" iii. 32% reported annual income less than $10,000 a year; the second highest
percentage was 27% who reported an annual income of over $45,000 a year iv. 36% had completed some college education; 31% had a college degree v. 76% owned vehicles vi. 39% were receiving services from other government agencies vii. 72% knew their attacker
1. 54% reported the attacker as an "Acquaintance" 2. 23% reported the attacker as "Family" 3. 14% reported the attacker as a "Spouse/Boyfriend" 4. 9% reported the attacker as a "Friend" viii. 63% reported the incident to police c. Profile of the Incidents: i. 45% occurred at the victim's home ii. 43% involved the attacker drinking and/or using drugs iii. 42% involved the use of a weapon iv. 26% involved multiple attackers d. Services most frequently offered by sexual assault programs: i. 24-hour crisis hotline

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ii. Referrals to shelter/housing and social services iii. Legal and medical advocacy iv. Counseling v. Support groups vi. Transportation services vii. Education viii. Skills/professional training 10. National Sexual Assault Numbers: a. One in 6 women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape. b. Only 39% of all rapes and sexual assaults are reported to law enforcement. c. 44% of rape victims are under the age of 18, and 80% are under the age of 30. d. 82% of rape victims knew their attacker. e. 20-25% of women attending college reported experiencing an attempted or completed rape while in college. f. Among high school students: i. 9.3% of African American students, 6.9% of Caucasian students, and
7.8% of Hispanic students reported being forced to have sex at some point in their lives. ii. 10.8% of high school girls and 4.2% of high school boys were forced to have sex at some time in their lives. g. In a national survey of about 10,000 adults: i. 10.6% of women reported being forced to have sex at some time in their lives. ii. 2.5% of women reported experiencing unwanted sexual activity in the past 12 months.

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