Everyone Knows Someone
Domestic violence is an epidemic affecting individuals in every community. It is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior that is only a fraction of a systematic pattern of dominance and control. In fact, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime (NCADV).
Domestic violence can result in physical injury, psychological trauma, and in severe cases, even death. The devastating physical, emotional, and psychological consequences of domestic violence can cross generations and last a lifetime.
South Carolina’s Legacy of Violence
Domestic violence most often comes to our attention when it becomes deadly. Compared to national rates, South Carolina has consistently had higher rates of female victims killed by male offenders in single victim/single offender incidents.
A Violence Policy Center (VPC) report released in 2023 placed South Carolina in the top 10 states for the rate of females killed by males for 23 out of 25 years (1996-2020).
According to the report analyzing 2023 homicide data, over 95 percent of female victims in South Carolina knew the men who killed them. More than 78 percent of female victims murdered by males were killed with a firearm exceeding the already high national average of 65 percent.
Domestic Violence and Firearms
Intimate partner violence and gun violence in the US are inextricably linked, impacting millions of women, families, and communities across the country. Abusers with firearms are FIVE TIMES more likely to kill their victims, and guns further exacerbate the power and control dynamic used by abusers to inflict emotional abuse and exert coercive control over their victims.
Every month, an average of 57 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner. Nearly 1 million women alive today have reported being shot or shot at by intimate partners, and 4.5 million women have reported being threatened with a gun.
In more than half of mass shootings over the past decade, the perpetrator shot a current or former intimate partner or family member as part of the rampage. The ripple effects of firearms in the hands of an abuser extend far beyond the intimate relationship—affecting children who witness or live with it and the family members, coworkers, and law enforcement officers who respond to it (EVERYTOWN).
Additional Information and Resources on Domestic Violence
To learn more about domestic violence, including forms of abuse, recognizing red flags, tips for speaking to someone experiencing DV, current national statistics, FAQs, and more, visit the websites of our national partners the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
For the most recent statistics surrounding domestic violence in South Carolina, please visit the Statistics page of our website.
Click here to view and download the 2018-2019 S.C. Domestic Violence Advisory Committee Annual Report.
