Executive Summary: An Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence and If The Victim Choose To Report To An Outside Authority

The CDC estimates that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men will experience some form of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in their lifetime. Intimate Partner Violence is a form of domestic violence in which a victim is subjected to varying levels of abuse, whether that be physical, psychological, blackmail, or stalking, at the hands of a romantic partner.  However, statistics about IPV can often have a wide range and data is fairly limited. IPV and Domestic Violence as a whole suffers from an “iceberg problem” in which the majority of cases go unreported. In cases that are reported, victims often have a negative experience with authority, their abuser is not arrested, or the victim is not removed from the situation. 

With IPV being such a widespread problem in the United States, disproportionately affecting those in a minority demographic and those experiencing poverty as this study will show, it is vital that research is done to fight this epidemic of abuse. Findings from this study can be used as a tool of awareness, whether that be for law enforcement, shelters, government authorities that focus on domestic violence or the general public, for understanding IPV and why cases go unreported. 

This study covered a wide range of factors that contribute to Intimate Partner Violence which can be broken down into four categories. The first (1) being the demographic of the victim including their age, race, highest education, income, type of location, (urban or rural), sex, and household makeup. Second (2) the factors of their assault including level of injury, the result of the report, where the assault happened, who reported it, if there was a weapon involved, if it was a repeat offender, if it resulted in a hospital visit and the relationship to the victim. Third (3) the reason, if applicable, for not reporting, such as for personal matters, protecting the offender, inefficient or biased police, crime was minor or unimportant, and fear of reprisal. Lastly, fourth (4) the general population's opinion of the police including police satisfaction by race and if the police had a specific agency to deal with Domestic Violence. 

From the data there are multiple ways IPV can be addressed by the government to better equip themselves in fighting this issue. IPV drastically affects women and people of color at a higher rate. With a direct correlation of experiencing IPV being poverty, it seems this is the largest factor in determining who is most at risk. This and the negative experience with law enforcement, there is a clear flaw in the system that needs to be addressed. 

The data indicated that the more specialized force on domestic violence was, i.e. having a specialized agency, more cases were able to be addressed. A lack of money or resources contributes to a choice to stay in an abusive relationship as IPV is typically not a one time issue. The data also addresses that many abusers are repeat offenders meaning there is not strict punishment enough to deter, another area in which the government can take steps to address IPV.  The government needs to address the epidemic of domestic abuse and contribute resources to protecting victims by offering them an alternative. With more resources available to these victims, fewer cases will go unreported and more victims will be able to escape their abusers.