ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 9:00 A.M. EDT BJS WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2000 202/307-0784 INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN DECLINED FROM 1993 THROUGH 1998 One-Third of All Murdered Females Were Killed by Partner WASHINGTON, D.C. Violence against women by intimate partners fell by 21 percent from 1993 through 1998, the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today. An estimated 876,340 violent victimizations against women by intimate partners occurred during 1998 down from 1.1 million in 1993. In both 1993 and 1998 men were the victims of about 160,000 violent crimes by an intimate partner (current or former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend). On average each year from 1993-1998, 22 percent of all female victims of violence in the United States were attacked by an intimate partner, compared to 3 percent of all male violence victims. The data are from BJS's National Crime Victimization Survey, in which a nationally representative sample of men and women age 12 years old and older are interviewed twice a year. Intimate partners committed fewer murders in 1996, 1997 or 1998 than in any other year since 1976. Between 1976 and 1998 the number of male victims of intimate partner murder fell an average 4 percent per year, and the number of female victims fell an average 1 percent. During 1998 women were the victims of intimate partner violence about five times more often than males. There were 767 female victims of intimate partner violence per 100,000 women that year, compared to 146 male victims. According to data compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, about 11 percent of all murders in 1998 (1,830 homicides) were the result of intimate partner violence, compared to about 3,000 such homicides in 1976. In 72 percent of the intimate partner homicides the victim was female (1,320 incidents) , compared to 50 percent in 1976. The number of white female intimate partner homicide victims rose 3 percent between 1976 and 1998, while the number of black females killed by intimates fell 45 percent, black males fell 74 percent and white males fell 44 percent. Between 1997 and 1998, the number of white females murdered by an intimate partner increased 15 percent. Between 1993 and 1998 women from 16 to 24 years old experienced the highest per capita rates of intimate victimization--19.6 per 1,000 women. About half of the intimate partner violence against women was reported to police during the six-year period. Black women were more likely than other women to report such violence. Among victims of violence by a domestic partner, the percentage of women who reported the violence to police was higher in 1998 (59 percent) than in 1993 (48 percent). Half of the female intimate violence victims told the survey they were physically injured, and 37 percent of these victims sought professional medical treatment. About 45 percent of the female intimate violence victims lived in households with children younger than 12 years old. Among all U.S. households, 27 percent were homes to children younger than 12 years. However, it is not known to what extent young children in households with intimate violence witnessed that violence. The special report "Intimate Partner Violence" (NCJ- 178247), was written by BJS statisticians Callie Marie Rennison and Sarah Welchans. Single copies may be obtained from the BJS fax-on-demand system by dialing 301/519-5550, listening to the complete menu and selecting document number 201. Or call the BJS clearinghouse number:1-800-732-3277. Fax orders for mail delivery to 410/792-4358. Additional information on intimate partner homicide trends may be found on the Internet at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/intimates.htm The BJS Internet site is: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ Additional criminal justice materials can be obtained from the Office of Justice Programs homepage at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov # # # BJS00123 After hours contact: Stu Smith at 301/983-9354