Does Domestic Violence Ever Take a Holiday?
While it is a common belief that domestic violence increases during the holidays, a time potentially filled with family and economic stress and occasionally too much holiday “cheer,” little data has been collected nationally to back up this perception.
kAmxE :D 5:77:4F=E E@ >62DFC6 EC6?5D :? 5@>6DE:4 G:@=6?46[ 3642FD6 :E @7E6? E2<6D A=246 369:?5 4=@D65 5@@CD 2?5 :D F?56CC6A@CE65] w@H6G6C[ H6 5@ D66 2? :?4C62D6 :? 42==D 2E $E2CE:?8 !@:?E C:89E k6>mkDA2? DEJ=6lQE6IE\564@C2E:@?i F?56C=:?6jQm27E6Ck^DA2?mk^6>m E96 9@=:52J D62D@?]k^Am
kAm(6 @7E6? 962C E92E @?6 @7 E96 AC:>6 C62D@?D A6@A=6 DE2J :? 23FD:G6 C6=2E:@?D9:AD :D 7@C E96:C 49:=5C6?] %9:D 364@>6D 6G6? >@C6 2>A=:7:65 5FC:?8 E96 9@=:52JD 2D E96 D@4:6E2= AC6DDFC6 E@ =:G6 FA E@ 4F=EFC2= 6IA64E2E:@?D @7 E96 D62D@? =62G6D G:4E:>D 766=:?8 AC6DDFC65 E@ <66A E96:C 72>:=J :?E24E 2E 2== 4@DED]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 :562 E92E 72>:=J G:@=6?46 :?4C62D6D 3642FD6 @7 9@=:52J DEC6DD@CD 42? 4C62E6 >:D4@?46AE:@?D 23@FE 9@H 23FD6 H@C<D]k^Am
kAmr@6C4:G6 4@?EC@=[ E96 4@C6 3692G:@C @7 2? 23FD6C[ :D?’E D@>6E9:?8 E92E E2<6D 2 k6>m9@=:52Jk^6>m ?@C :D :E 2 3692G:@C E92E DA:<6D[ =:<6 2 E6>A6C E2?ECF>] r@6C4:G6 3692G:@C :D 2 C2?86 @7 E24E:4D E92E :?4=F56 6>@E:@?2=[ G6C32=[ 64@?@>:4[ A9JD:42= 2?5 D6IF2= 23FD6] xE :D 2 kDEC@?8m56=:36C2E6k^DEC@?8m 3692G:@C >62?E E@ 4@?EC@= 2?5 :?E:>:52E6 G:4E:>D] xE :D 2 3692G:@C E92E 4F=>:?2E6D @G6C E:>6] p3FD6 4J4=6D >2J 2AA62C E@ DA:<6 2?5 DF3D:56 282:? 2?5 282:?[ 3FE E96 4@6C4:@? :D 2=H2JD :? A=2J 6G6? H96? E96C6 :D 2 =F==] x? 724E[ D@>6E:>6D E96 “=F==” :D E96 4@6C4:G6 3692G:@C[ >2<:?8 G:4E:>D E9:?< E92E E96C6 :D 2 H2J E@ DE@A E96 23FD6 2?5 42FD:?8 E96> E@ DE2J :? 9@A6D @7 :E 6?5:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 9@=:52JD >2J :?4C62D6 E96 C:D< 724E@CD E92E =625 E@ 5@>6DE:4 G:@=6?46[ DF49 2D 7:?2?4:2= DEC2:?[ :?4C62D65 FD6 @7 2=4@9@= @C @E96C DF3DE2?46D 2?5 ;FDE E96 724E E92E 23FD6CD >2J 36 DA6?5:?8 >@C6 E:>6 2E 9@>6 H:E9 E96 G:4E:>D] %96D6 4@?5:E:@?D 2=@?6 2C6 ?@E 6?@F89 E@ 4C62E6 2? 23FD:G6 D:EF2E:@?] |2?J A6@A=6 6IA6C:6?46 DF49 4@?5:E:@?D 2== J62C =@?8 2?5 ?6G6C 6IA6C:6?46 23FD6] p3FD6CD FD6 E96D6 4:C4F>DE2?46D 2D 6I4FD6D E@ ;FDE:7J E96:C 3692G:@CD[ 3FE E96 23FD6 =:G6D :?D:56 E9@D6 H9@ 36=:6G6 E96J 92G6 2? :?96C6?E C:89E E@ 4@?EC@= @E96CD]k^Am
kAm%96 AC6DDFC6 E@ =:G6 FA E@ E96 A:4EFC6\A6C764E[ r9C:DE>2D\42C5\72>:=J :562= 42? H6:89 962G:=J @? 2 G:4E:> E@ 9@=5 E9:?8D E@86E96C] w2G:?8 G:D:E@CD @C >@C6 72>:=J >6>36CD 2C@F?5 42? >2<6 :E >@C6 5:77:4F=E 7@C E96 G:4E:> E@ C6A@CE[ ?@E H2?E:?8 E@ “CF:?” r9C:DE>2D] p3FD6CD 42? FD6 E9:D E@ 4@?EC@= E96:C G:4E:>D]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C 9@=:52J D:56 67764E :D E96 H2J G:4E:>D A6C46:G6 E96:C D:EF2E:@? 2D 36:?8 :? DE2C< 4@?EC2DE E@ E96 k6>mw2==>2C<k^6>m 8=:EE6C 2?5 DA2C<=6 @7 72>:=J E@86E96C?6DD 2?5 92AA:?6DD E92E G6?5@CD @7 E96 D62D@? 8=@C:7J] %9:D “3=F6 r9C:DE>2D” 766=:?8 42? 27764E @E96CD 2D H6== 2D G:4E:>D @7 5@>6DE:4 G:@=6?46] p?J@?6 DECF88=:?8 H:E9 56AC6DD:@? 42? 36 25G6CD6=J 27764E65 3J DF49 >6DD286D] %96 u2463@@< A@DE >6?E2=:EJ E92E =:76 :D 2 3@H= @7 496CC:6D 42? 36 A2:?7F= 7@C E9@D6 H9@ DECF88=6 H:E9 E96 A:ED]k^Am
kAm%96 9@=:52J D62D@? 5@6D 96=A E@ D9:?6 2 DA@E=:89E @? 5@>6DE:4 G:@=6?46 H:E9 42>A2:8?D E92E :?4C62D6 2H2C6?6DD] &?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E9@D6 42>A2:8?D E6?5 E@ DF3D:56 ;FDE H96? 4C:D:D 46?E6CD 2C6 C646:G:?8 2? :?4C62D6 :? 42==D 7@C 96=A :? 62C=J y2?F2CJ 2?5 ?665 6G6? 8C62E6C DFAA@CE 7C@> E96 4@>>F?:EJ]k^Am
kAmw@H 42? H6 96=A G:4E:>D @7 5@>6DE:4 G:@=6?46 5FC:?8 E9:D E:>6 @7 J62Cn %96 D2>6 H2J H6 5@ 2?J @E96C E:>6 @7 E96 J62C[ ;FDE 2>A65 FA 2 3:E] w6C6 2C6 D@>6 :562Dik^Am
kF=mk=:mw6=A 4C62E6 2H2C6?6DD J62C\C@F?5] ':@=6?46 5@6D?’E E2<6 2 9@=:52J 2?5 ?6:E96C 42? @FC H@C< E@ AC6G6?E :E]k^=:mk=:m{@@< 7@C D:8?D @7 F?962=E9J C6=2E:@?D9:AD DF49 2D :D@=2E:@?[ AFE\5@H?D @7 2 A2CE?6C[ ;62=@FDJ[ E96 ?665 @7 @?6 A2CE?6C E@ 36 :? 4@?EC@=[ E96 ?665 @7 @?6 A2CE?6C E@ E2<6 46?E6C\DE286[ 492?86D :? 2 A6CD@?’D WE96 G:4E:>’DX A6CD@?2=:EJ 7C@> @FE8@:?8 E@ :?EC@G6CE65 @C D64=F565]k^=:mk=:mx? 36EH66? A@DED 23@FE >6CC:>6?E[ D92C6 2? 2CE:4=6 @C >6>6 23@FE DFAA@CE:?8 E9@D6 H9@ >2J 36 DECF88=:?8 2?5 9:89=:89E H96C6 E@ 7:?5 96=A] x? 86?6C2=[ =6E D@4:2= >65:2 7C:6?5D <?@H E92E J@F 2C6 2H2C6 2?5 2G2:=23=6 7@C E96 92C5 ECFE9D]k^=:mk=:ms@?’E DE2?5 3J H96? @E96CD FD6 @AAC6DD:G6 @C >:D@8J?:DE =2?8F286[ DA62< FA 2?5 96=A @E96CD C:D6 23@G6 E96:C >:D4@?46AE:@?D]k^=:mk=:m#6>:?5 72>:=J 2?5 7C:6?5D E92E E96C6 :D 96=A[ 3@E9 7@C G:4E:>D 2?5 7@C E9@D6 H9@ 23FD6]k^=:mk=:mx? E96 DA:C:E @7 E96 D62D@?[ 3C:?8 ;@J 2?5 A6246 H96C6G6C J@F 8@ :? H92E6G6C H2J J@F 42? 2?5 >@56= E92E H6 42? 2== 5@ 36EE6C E@ AC@E64E 2?5 42C6 7@C E9@D6 2E C:D<]k^=:mk^F=m
kAmx7 J@F ?665 96=A DE2J:?8 D276 E9C@F89 E96 9@=:52JD[ $E2CE:?8 !@:?E 42? 96=A H:E9 D276EJ A=2??:?8 @C D96=E6C] x7 J@F 92G6 4@?46C?D 23@FE 2 7C:6?5 @C 72>:=J >6>36C[ H6 42? 96=A 7:?5 C6D@FC46D]k^Am
kAm$E2CE:?8 !@:?E :D ?6G6C 4=@D65] ~FC 4C:D:D^DFAA@CE =:?6 :D 2G2:=23=6 ac^f^bed 52JD 2 J62C] r2== Wg__X bbe\bfhd]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F H@F=5 =:<6 E@ =62C? >@C6 23@FE DFAA@CE:?8 @FC H@C< @C G@=F?E66C:?8[ A=62D6 6>2:= k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i4@>>F?:EJoDE2CE:?8A@:?E?9]@C8Qm4@>>F?:EJoDE2CE:?8A@:?E?9]@C8k^2mk^Am
kAmuC@> 2== @7 FD 2E $E2CE:?8 !@:?E[ H6 H:D9 J@F ;@J 2?5 A6246 5FC:?8 E96 9@=:52JD 2?5 2=H2JDPk^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.