The 16 Days of Action Against Domestic Violence (sometimes known as the 16 Days of Action Against Gender-Based Violence) is an international initiative that runs from November 25th to December 10th this year.

Here are some facts & statistics regarding domestic violence and gender-based violence:

• In North America, 1 in 5 women and girls experienced violence by an intimate partner within the last 12 months

• Globally, 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime

• Over the past 12 months, cases of domestic violence increased by 30%

• On average, every six days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner

• 85% of domestic violence victims are women

• Most common age when intimate partner violence is first experienced by women is age 18-24 (38.6%), followed by age 11-17 (22.4%), age 35-44 (6.8%) and age 45+ (2.5%). For men the most common age is age 18-24 (47.1%), followed by age 25-34 (30.6%), age 11-17 (15.0%), age 35-44 (10.3%) and age 45+ (5.5%).

• In one study, among victims of intimate partner violence, 84% of female victims and 61% of male victims disclosed their victimization to someone, primarily a friend or family member. Only 21% of female victims and 6% of male victims disclosed their victimization to a doctor or nurse at some point in their lifetime

• Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police

• Historically, females have been most often victimized by someone they knew

• Nearly 50% of women have experienced at least one form of psychological aggression by an intimate partner during their lifetime

• 1 in 4 of victims of police-reported violence are victimized by a family member

Sources:

https://www.domesticshelters.org/resources/statistics/domestic-abuse-topline-facts-and-statistics

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/210302/dq210302d-eng.htm

https://canadianwomen.org/the-facts/gender-based-violence/

https://www.nwac.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Fact_Sheet_Violence_Against_Aboriginal_Women.pdf