Domestic violence is a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors - including physical, sexual and psychological attacks and economic coercion - that adults or adolescents use against their intimate partners for the purpose of gaining power and control over them.
Domestic violence affects people of all cultures, religions, ages, sexual orientations, educational backgrounds and income levels. In 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that each year, 1,200 women are killed and 2 million are injured as a result of domestic violence. The statistics for individuals experiencing domestic violence in the city of Philadelphia are equally staggering:
- 11,690 individuals filed for protection from abuse orders (2009).
- 9,599 hotline calls were answered by the Philadelphia Domestic Violence Hotline (2009).
- 114,379 domestic abuse incidents were responded to by the Philadelphia Police Department (2009).
