Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Awareness, 1 CE

Domestic violence and sexual assault takes on a number of different forms. Understanding the different types of domestic violence is important for massage therapists who might ultimately find themselves working with a client suffering under these circumstances. 

While the term “domestic violence” often leaves us thinking that the abuse takes place inside the home, domestic violence/ sexual assault affects all areas of a person’s life. Domestic violence/sexual assault is not only found in the home but can be found in the work environment, school, business, or social settings. Sexual assault can occur anytime and anywhere. 

Statistics from the National Domestic Violence Hotline offers a number of workplace statistics regarding domestic violence. Within the five-year span between 2003 and 2008, approximately 33% of women killed at work were killed by a former or current intimate partner. 

According to a series of reports from 2016/2017, the National Intimate Partner Violence Survey (NISVS) reports growing and disturbing facts:

• 1 in 2 women and 2 in 5 men in the United States face physical violence from an intimate partner at some point in their lives.
• 2 in 5 women in the United States reported experiencing physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. 
• Almost 40 million women reported being slapped, pushed, or shoved.
• Every minute 32 people experience violence from a person they know.

Domestic violence continues to profoundly affect the lives of countless women and men across the United States, remaining a persistent and critical issue.