You can play an important role in stopping domestic and sexual violence, as well as connecting survivors with the support they deserve. The best part? You only have to lift a finger. Joining with Montgomery County Women’s Center on social media gives you a chance to have a voice in the conversation about domestic and sexual violence.

 

Did You Know:

  • 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. This includes a range of behaviors (e.g. slapping, shoving, pushing) and in some cases might not be considered “domestic violence.”
  • One in five women in the United States experienced completed or attempted rape during their lifetime.
  • Nearly a quarter (24.8%) of men in the U.S. experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime.

 

You Can Make a Difference:

  • NOW…. check your social media and see how many friends or followers you have (both men & women).
  • TAKE those numbers and apply them to the stats above. 
  • SEE how many people you know that could be being impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault.
  • CHANGE A LIFE: Do something by sharing information from our social media pages or create your own posts with the messages below.

 

Connect Survivors With Help:

Montgomery County Women’s Center provides free, 24/7 support to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and their loved ones. Reach those who need this valuable service by sharing the hotline information on social media.

  • If you have been affected by sexual assault, you are not alone. Montgomery County Women’s Center @mcwctx provides free, confidential support 24/7 at (936) 441-4-7273.
  • @mcwctx provides free, 24/7 support for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and their loved ones at (936) 441-7273. By calling you can get access to counseling, support groups, legal assistance and medical accompaniment. 

 

Educate Your Friends:

Debunk myths and educate your network about sexual violence. Share a statistic to shed light on the issue.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

  • On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men.
  • 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner contact sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking with impacts such as injury, fearfulness, post-traumatic stress disorder, use of victim services, contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, etc.
    • 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. This includes a range of behaviors (e.g. slapping, shoving, pushing) and in some cases might not be considered “domestic violence.” 
    • 1 in 7 women and 1 in 25 men have been injured by an intimate partner.
    • 1 in 10 women have been raped by an intimate partner. Data is unavailable on male victims.
  • 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence (e.g. beating, burning, strangling) by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
  • 1 in 7 women and 1 in 18 men have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime to the point in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.
  • On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide.
  • The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%.
  • Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime.
  • Women between the ages of 18-24 are most commonly abused by an intimate partner.
  • 19% of domestic violence involves a weapon.
  • Domestic victimization is correlated with a higher rate of depression and suicidal behavior.
  • Only 34% of people who are injured by intimate partners receive medical care for their injuries.

RAPE

  • 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the United States has been raped in their lifetime.
  • Almost half of female (46.7%) and male (44.9%) victims of rape in the United States were raped by an acquaintance. Of these, 45.4% of female rape victims and 29% of male rape victims were raped by an intimate partner.

STALKING

  • 19.3 million women and 5.1 million men in the United States have been stalked in their lifetime.1 60.8% of female stalking victims and 43.5% men reported being stalked by a current or former intimate partner.

HOMICIDE

  • A study of intimate partner homicides found that 20% of victims were not the intimate partners themselves, but family members, friends, neighbors, persons who intervened, law enforcement responders, or bystanders.
  • 72% of all murder-suicides involve an intimate partner; 94% of the victims of these murder suicides are female.

CHILDREN AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

  • 1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90% of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

  • Victims of intimate partner violence lose a total of 8.0 million days of paid work each year.
  • The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $8.3 billion per year.
  • Between 21-60% of victims of intimate partner violence lose their jobs due to reasons stemming from the abuse.
  • Between 2003 and 2008, 142 women were murdered in their workplace by their abuser, 78% of women killed in the workplace during this timeframe.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL IMPACT

  • Women abused by their intimate partners are more vulnerable to contracting HIV or other STI’s due to forced intercourse or prolonged exposure to stress.
  • Studies suggest that there is a relationship between intimate partner violence and depression and suicidal behavior.
  • Physical, mental, and sexual and reproductive health effects have been linked with intimate partner violence including adolescent pregnancy, unintended pregnancy in general, miscarriage, stillbirth, intrauterine hemorrhage, nutritional deficiency, abdominal pain and other gastrointestinal problems, neurological disorders, chronic pain, disability, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Victims of domestic violence are also at higher risk for developing addictions to alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.

 

Advocate For Survivors of Domestic & Sexual Violence:

Use your voice to create a ripple effect of change for survivors among your peers, in your community, or even on Capitol Hill.

  • Support funding to help victims of domestic and sexual violence and hold perpetrators accountable at https://mcwctx.org/get-involved/donate-online/ #StandWithMe #StandWithSurvivors #SpeakUpSpeakOut 

 

Donate to Montgomery County Women’s Center:

Encourage others to support the work of the National Sexual Assault Hotline. Share these tweets about how donations support survivors.

  • The Montgomery County Women’s Center has been committed for many years to providing a 24-hour hotline, safe shelter, crisis intervention, counseling, advocacy and legal services to survivors of family violence, sexual assault and stalking. Your support assists us in continuing to provide these services at no cost to the clients and their families.
  • Your $75 donation funds a Single Woman at our Shelter, including meals, transportation, counseling and life skills. Donate at https://mcwctx.org/get-involved/donate-online/.
  • Your $175 donation funds a family at our Shelter, including meals, transportation, counseling and life skills. Donate at https://mcwctx.org/get-involved/donate-online/.
  • Your $100 donation provides a one-hour classroom presentation to educate youth about issues related to dating violence, sexual harassment, sexual assault and bullying.
  • Your $250 donation provides a weeks’ worth of Shelter transportation for clients.  Donate at https://mcwctx.org/get-involved/donate-online/.
  • Your $350 donation covers the cost of our 24/7 crisis hotline operation for one day. Donate at https://mcwctx.org/get-involved/donate-online/.
  • Join the fight against sexual violence with your own fundraising campaign for Montgomery County Women’s Center @mcwctx. Visit https://mcwctx.org/get-involved/fundraise/ 
  • Join the fight against domestic violence with your own fundraising campaign for Montgomery County Women’s Center @mcwctx. Visit https://mcwctx.org/get-involved/fundraise/ 

 

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, it’s not your fault. You are not alone. Help is available 24/7 through Montgomery County Women’s Center at (936) 441-7273.