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Domestic violence is a significant public health issue affecting millions of people globally each year (Lilly & Graham-Bermann, 2009). According to Statistics Canada (2011), 6% of the 19 million Canadians with a current or former spouse as of 2009 report being victims of physical or sexual forms of spousal violence (p. 8). This amounts to over one million Canadians (including both men and women) affected by violence perpetrated by a current or former legal spouse or common-law partner.
Although men and women are affected by domestic violence, women are disproportionately subject to domestic violence and its consequences. According to 2006 Statistics Canada reports on trends in violence against women and on family violence in Canada, research has demonstrated that the context and outcomes of domestic violence are affected by gender (2006a, 2006b). Recent reports indicate that, among victims of spousal violence, female victims (57%) are more likely than male victims (40%) to report recurring incidents of violence, and female victims are three times more likely to report more serious forms of domestic abuse by a partner or ex-partner, including sexual assault, beating, choking, or threats with a weapon (Statistics Canada, 2011, p. 10).1 The comparatively high rates of violence experienced by women are well documented in academic literature, with some authors describing violence against women as an epidemic (see Najavits, 2009; Moses, Reed, Mazelis, & D’Ambrosio, 2003). complete document click here ..... Concurrent disorders in Victims of Domestic Violence
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