Statistical Information about Domestic Violence in ColoradoIt’s important to collect and report statistical information about domestic violence in Colorado. Examining the statistical information about domestic violence in Colorado is a good way to determine if the problem is increasing. Without statistical information about domestic violence in Colorado, the problem may stay hidden.

According to the  National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCANV), who reports statistical information about domestic violence in Colorado, in 2014, 16,700 people reported one or more domestic violence crimes to Colorado law enforcement. That does not take into account the number of other domestic violence victims/survivors that did not contact law enforcement.

Other statistical information about domestic violence in Colorado reported by NCANV include:

  • Twenty-five Coloradans were killed by former or current intimate partners in 2014; almost 70 percent of those were killed with guns.
  • In 2014, 1,018 people in Colorado were abducted by current or former intimate partners. Over half were abducted by current or former dating partners.
  • Approximately 325,000 Coloradans are stalked during their lifetimes.
  • One in three women and one in four men in the United States have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence defines domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats, and emotional abuse. The frequency and severity of domestic violence can vary dramatically.

Iyer Law Office in Denver reports that in Colorado, for a civil protection order, domestic abuse/violence (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-14-101(2)) is defined as:

Any act, attempted act, or threatened act of violence, stalking, harassment, or coercion. Domestic abuse can also include any act, attempted act, or threatened act of violence against your children under 18 or against any animal owned by either of the parties or by a child of either of the parties;

In addition, in Colorado, for it to be considered domestic violence as defined under Colorado criminal statute, the person who acted abusively toward you must be someone who is or was related to you by blood or marriage, lives or lived with you, and who you have or had an intimate relationship with.

Iyer Law Office in Denver reports that Colorado prosecutes domestic violence cases aggressively and the victim need not be willing to press charges since once a charge is filed, the prosecution takes over the case with or without the victim’s assistance. The consequences of a conviction for domestic violence are very harsh and may result in a loss of employment, housing and even security clearances.

It’s important to remember the importance of statistical information about domestic violence in Colorado, because it tells the story of domestic violence.

According to the  National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, on a typical day nationwide, domestic violence hotlines receive approximately 21,000 calls, an average of close to 15 calls every minute. Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime. The presence of a gun in the home during a domestic violence incident increases the risk of homicide by at least 500 percent. Seventy Two percent of all murder-suicides involve an intimate partner; 94 percent of the victims of these crimes are female.

For a list of domestic violence programs in Colorado Call The National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or go online to DomesticShelters.org or http://www.ncadv.org/files/Colorado.pdf (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence)

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