Physical abuse is no longer just about bruises and broken bones. Emotional abuse is about more than hurt feelings.

The long-term health impacts of domestic violence (DV) are being characterized as “epidemic” and a “national scourge” by Robert S. Thompson, MD, because DV affects between 25% and 54% of women in their adult lifetimes, and a disproportionate number of these women experienced physical or sexual abuse as a child. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,200 women are killed (three each day) and 2 million are injured each year from intimate partner violence (IPV). This impacts 15.5 million children.