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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Domestic Violence Commonality Here are a few facts about Domestic violence: four women die every day in the United States as a result of domestic violence. Every 15 seconds a women is battered or beaten by a husband or boyfriend. In addition, an average of 572,000 assaults by intimate partners are reported to federal officials every year. It is estimated that between 2.5 to 4 million assaults actually occur (U.S. Department of Justice, 1994). Gelles and Straus, 1988, study show half of all women will be hit at least once while married or in a long-term relationship, and in abusive relationships, women were victims of abuse 95 percent of the time and men, only 5 percent. Abuse, Types of Relationships The reality, domestic violence can happen in any type of relationship: married, heterosexual, gay, lesbian, separated, and even dating. It may be surprising to know that one in four women in heterosexual marital relationships will be victims of abuse. Same sex battering mirrors heterosexual abuse both in type and prevalence (Barnes, 1998). It’s victims receive fewer protections by authorities. Many battered gays or lesbians fight back to defend themselves. There is a myth that same sex abuse is mutual. Mur