ABSTRACT
In 2005, the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) released a report of domestic violence rates for the years 1993 to 2005. Basing the analysis on a population segment of 1,000 persons of age 12 or older, the survey revealed violence rates for intimate partners or relatives stood at 5.9 out of 1,000 for female victims and 2.1 for males. Approximately one-third of domestic violence victims reported actual physical violence, with the balance reporting only threats of violence or death (Klein, 2008b, p. 7). It should be noted, however, that a different survey, the National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS), revealed that only 27% of women and 13.5% of men who were assaulted actually reported the incident(s) to law enforcement. This apparently indicates that the crime of domestic violence is underreported. Equally troublesome is the finding that initial attacks are not commonly reported. Victims typically suffer multiple assaults before the authorities are contacted (Klein, 2008b, p. 10).
