Facts About Trauma

Traumatic events include physical, psychological, and sexual abuse; terrorism and war; domestic violence; witnessing violence against others; and accidents and natural disasters. They can result in serious stress and detrimental consequences for survivors and their families.
Approximately one half (50%) of all individuals will be exposed to at least one traumatic event in their lifetime.
Although the majority of individuals will be able to absorb the trauma over time, many survivors will experience long-lasting problems.Approximately 8% of survivors will develop Post traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).Many survivors currently living with PTSD experience symptoms that are both chronic and severe. These include: nightmares, insomnia, somatic disturbances, difficulty with intimate relationships, fear, anxiety, anger, shame, aggression, suicidal behaviors, loss of trust, and isolation.

Psychological disorders may also occur in conjunction with post traumatic stress including depression, anxiety, and alcohol/substance abuse problems.

Facts About Women and Trauma

Research indicates that women are twice as likely to develop Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), experience a longer duration of posttraumatic symptoms, and display more sensitivity to stimuli that remind them of the trauma.

Although women are at greater risk for negative consequences following traumatic events, many often hesitate to seek mental health treatment. Survivors often wait years to receive help, while others never receive treatment at all.

Untreated posttraumatic symptoms not only have tremendous mental health implications, but can also lead to adverse effects on physical health. Female survivors may encounter physical symptoms including headaches, gastro-intestinal problems, and sexual dysfunction.

Although the mental and physical symptoms of posttraumatic stress can be quite debilitating, trauma is often undiagnosed by health professionals due to a lack of training, time, and resources.

There are a variety of effective treatment interventions for women who have survived traumatic events, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, group treatment, pharmacotherapy, and psychodynamic interventions.

National Statistics

  • Every 9 seconds in the US, a woman is assaulted or beaten.
  • On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men.1
  • 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of [some form of] physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime.1
  • 1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.1
  • 1 in 7 women and 1 in 18 men have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime to the point in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.1
  • On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide.9
  • The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%.10
  • Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime.2
  • Women between the ages of 18-24 are most commonly abused by an intimate partner.2
  • 19% of domestic violence involves a weapon.2
  • Domestic victimization is correlated with a higher rate of depression and suicidal behavior.2
  • Only 34% of people who are injured by intimate partners receive medical care for their injuries.2

Impact of Trauma Video
https://youtu.be/5iQNgQgmNeY

RAPE

  • 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the United States has been raped in their lifetime.1
  • Almost half of female (46.7%) and male (44.9%) victims of rape in the United States were raped by an acquaintance. Of these, 45.4% of female rape victims and 29% of male rape victims were raped by an intimate partner.11

STALKING

  • 19.3 million women and 5.1 million men in the United States have been stalked in their lifetime.1 60.8% of female stalking victims and 43.5% men reported being stalked by a current or former intimate partner.11

HOMICIDE

  • A study of intimate partner homicides found that 20% of victims were not the intimate partners themselves, but family members, friends, neighbors, persons who intervened, law enforcement responders, or bystanders.3
  • 72% of all murder-suicides involve an intimate partner; 94% of the victims of these murder suicides are female.8

CHILDREN AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

  • 1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90% of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence.5

ECONOMIC IMPACT

  • Victims of intimate partner violence lose a total of 8.0 million days of paid work each year.6
  • The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $8.3 billion per year.6
  • Between 21-60% of victims of intimate partner violence lose their jobs due to reasons stemming from the abuse.6
  • Between 2003 and 2008, 142 women were murdered in their workplace by their abuser, 78% of women killed in the workplace during this timeframe.4

PHYSICAL/MENTAL IMPACT

  • Women abused by their intimate partners are more vulnerable to contracting HIV or other STI’s due to forced intercourse or prolonged exposure to stress.7
  • Studies suggest that there is a relationship between intimate partner violence and depression and suicidal behavior.7
  • Physical, mental, and sexual and reproductive health effects have been linked with intimate partner violence including adolescent pregnancy, unintended pregnancy in general, miscarriage, stillbirth, intrauterine hemorrhage, nutritional deficiency, abdominal pain and other gastrointestinal problems, neurological disorders, chronic pain, disability, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Victims of domestic violence are also at higher risk for developing addictions to alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.7
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