News

You’re More Likely To Be Murdered By Your Boyfriend Than Literally Anyone Else

by Alexia LaFata
Deirdre Malfatto

These new findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are extremely frightening.

A report released Thursday by the CDC found that, out of the 10,018 female homicides that occurred in the United States between 2003 and 2014, 93 percent of victims were killed by former or current boyfriends, husbands, or lovers. Young black and Hispanic women are disproportionately affected.

The remaining 7 percent were killed by family members, first responders, female friends, and bystanders of a domestic violence incident.

This information isn't new, unfortunately.

We already know nearly three women are killed every day by an intimate partner. Worldwide, 38 percent of women who were murdered were killed by an intimate partner, according to the World Health Organization.

The Huffington Post reported that intimate male partners pose the biggest threat of violence to women than literally any other group.

Guys, even Louis CK knows this is true:

What's even worse is 11 percent of those homicide victims, as reported by the CDC, experienced violence in the month leading up to their death, which means intimate partner violence can be stopped -- if more people are equipped with the knowledge to do so.

"Teaching young persons safe and healthy relationship skills as well as how to recognize situations or behaviors that might become violent are effective IPV [intimate partner violence] primary prevention measures," the report says.

But there's another important and complicated piece to this puzzle.

The CDC found that guns were used in 54 percent of these homicides, solidifying the strong connection between domestic abuse and gun violence.

Tighter gun control laws could help to reduce intimate partner homicides. In fact, after one state restricted access to guns for people who have a history of domestic violence, there was a 25 percent decrease in gun homicides in that state.

It is beyond disheartening that we live in a world where the men we are supposed to trust the most actually pose the greatest risk to our safety.

But, as we have seen, there are actions we can — and should — take to reduce the threat of intimate partner violence.

If you or someone you know is struggling with intimate partner violence, call The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.