Sherry’s desire is to bring awareness to teens, young adults and the mature fabulous and over forty readers discussing the effects of trauma, sexual assault, domestic violence and substance abuse to offer Wings of Hope and Healing.
The Center for Disease Control reports on Domestic Violence: February 2008
- 23.6% of women and 11.5% of men reported at least one lifetime episode of intimate partner violence.
- In America, one in four women and one in nine men suffers physical or
emotional violence at the hands of an intimate partner.
The new data comes from the largest-ever survey of intimate-partner violence – a range of behaviors that includes physical violence, sexual violence, unwanted sex, emotional abuse, threats, and stalking. Perpetrators include spouses, ex-spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends, and dates.
The Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN): The nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization reports:
- 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed rape; 2.8% attempted rape).
- 17.7 million American women have been victims of attempted or completed rape
- 9 of every 10 rape victims were female in 2003
- 44% of victims are under age 18
- 80% are under age 30
- 54% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police
- 97% of rapists will never spend a day in jail
- Approximately 2/3 of assaults are committed by someone known to the victim
- 38% of rapists are a friend or acquaintance
Drug Facts: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Illicit drug use in America has been increasing. In 2011, an estimated 22.5 million Americans aged 12 or older—or 8.7 percent of the population—had used an illicit drug or abused a psychotherapeutic medication (such as a pain reliever, stimulant, or tranquilizer) in the past month. This is up from 8.3 percent in 2002. The increase mostly reflects a recent rise in the use of marijuana, the most commonly used illicit drug.
Most people use drugs for the first time when they are teenagers. There were just over 3.0 million new users (initiates) of illicit drugs in 2011, or about 8,400 new users per day. Half (51 percent) were under 18.
More than half of new illicit drug users begin with marijuana. Next most common are prescription pain relievers, followed by inhalants (which is most common among younger teens).
There continues to be a large “treatment gap” in this country. In 2011, an estimated 21.6 million Americans (8.4 percent) needed treatment for a problem related to drugs or alcohol, but only about 2.3 million people (less than 1 percent) received treatment at a specialty facility.
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