NCJ Number
193475
Date Published
2000
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This chapter examines the geographic distribution of intimate abuse and the concentration of services designed for victims of domestic violence.
Abstract
No databases contain State-by-State estimates of domestic violence or focus on the distribution of services to battered women. The only data currently available on the national level are State-by-State reports of intrafamilial homicide. Spousal murders are more likely to be committed in the South or Southeast, or in the southwestern States of Arizona, Texas, and Oklahoma. One explanation might be that factors such as regional income or religious differences are contributing to higher levels of violence. Given the gaps in data at the national level, this essay focuses on the ways in which both intimate abuse and shelter programs are distributed in the State of Georgia. Physical violence includes all domestic violence incidents resulting in permanent or temporary disability, gun or knife wounds, broken bones, superficial injury, and any other abuse of a physical nature. Property violence includes all incidents resulting in property damage or theft. Verbal violence is defined as the number of domestic violence incidents resulting in threats or abusive language. Rates of reported abuse appeared to be higher in the Atlanta metropolitan area, the northern part of the State, and in the Albany and Savannah areas. The highest rates of physical abuse were in Spalding, Ware, and Liberty counties, all located south of the Atlanta metropolitan area. The same general pattern held true for rates of property violence. Most of the shelters in Georgia are located in a band inside or north of the Atlanta metropolitan areas. Shelters are sparsely located in the southern part of the State, tending to cluster around mid-size cities, such as Savannah, Valdosta, and Albany, and to appear in several coastal counties and those bordering Florida. In addition to location, other factors such as race/ethnicity and income distribution may be affecting rates of domestic violence. Reports of intimate violence actually increase with public awareness of the issue. 7 figures, 9 references