Women's Safety

Domestic violence is as a pattern of behavior in any  relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an  intimate partner. 

Abuse can be:

• Physical
• Sexual
• Emotional
• Economic
• Psychological

• Domestic violence is commonly referred to as intimate partner violence (IPV)
• Eighty-five percent of IPV victims are women. A woman is beaten every 9 seconds.
• Every year nearly 5.3 million incidents of IPV occur among U.S. women aged 18 and older
• IPV results in nearly 1300 deaths and 2 million injuries every year in the United States
• More than 3 women are killed by husbands/boyfriends everyday
• 1 in 3 women worldwide has been forced into sex, beaten, or otherwise abused another way during her lifetime
• Women aged 16-24 are most likely to be victimized by an intimate partner
• Women are 5 to 8 times more likely than men to be victimized by an intimate partner
• Most IPV incidents are not reported to the police - only 20% of  rapes/sexual assaults, 25% of physical assaults, and 50% of stalking  towards women are reported
• Despite severe under-reporting of IPV, calls related to IPV make up about half of all violent crime calls to police departments
• Only about 1 out of 5 IPV victims with physical injuries seek professional medical treatment  
• A dating partner is sexually and/or physically abusing 1 out of 5 high school students
• It is estimated that intimate partners stalk more than 1 million women and 371,000 men each year
• For 30% of women who are abused, the first incident occurs during pregnancy
• Between 4-8% of pregnant women are abused at least once during pregnancy
• Hispanic women are less likely to be victimized than non-Hispanic women in every age group
• Women are most at risk to violence during separation from their intimate partner 

Source: https://med.emory.edu/departments/psychiatry/nia/resources/domestic_violence.html

If you know someone in an abusive relationship, there are ways you can help.

• Listen: Try to find a time and place that is safe to talk to your friend/family member. Start the conversation by expressing concern about them, for example, “I am worried about your safety.” Allow your friend/family to speak and let them know you believe them.
• Don’t judge them, offer them support: Let them know they are not alone and that no one deserves to be abused. Assure them that abuse is never the victim’s fault and what they are feeling is okay. Ask how you can best support them.
• Give them positive support and reinforcement: their abuser has probably worn them down and made them feel worthless.
• Be prepared to provide them with resources and information: Encourage them to connect with crisis hotlines, support groups, Domestic Violence shelters, mental health services, or anything else they may need.
• Help them with a safety plan. 
• Respect their choices: Do not pressure them into leaving. It is never as simple as just leaving. There are many reasons people stay in an abusive relationship. Offer them support and resources, but ultimately know it is their decision. Do not be judgmental or make them feel bad for staying in an abusive relationship. Let them know you will be there for them no matter what choice they make.
• Provide them with whatever you can to help them be safe: This could be transportation or financial assistance. It could mean taking in their pets. Many people do not leave their abusers because they are worried about not being able to take their pets with them and what the abuser might do to the pets if they leave them. 

Remember, you are there to support your loved one, not to rescue or save them.

Effective safety planning is essential to getting out of a domestic violence situation. Here are some basic safety techniques. 

• Phone Numbers – Keep a shelter’s phone number on you at all times for emergency phone calls as well as any other important numbers.
• Get Away Bag – Leave money, an extra set of keys, copies of important documents, any necessary medications, and extra clothes with someone you trust so you can leave quickly. Consider purchasing and keeping a burner phone in the bag if necessary.
• Pets – Have a plan for your pets. Talk to someone you trust about taking them in if necessary. There are also some animal shelters that will take in animals on a temporary basis.
• Children – Talk to your children about your safety plan. Teach them about 911, including how and when to call the police.
• School and Child Care – Make sure that everyone at your children’s school knows who can and who cannot pick up your children. Talk to your children about who they should tell if they see your abuser.
• Order for Protection – If you have an order of protection, always keep a copy with you. Make extra copies to keep in your car, at work, in your purse, and at your children’s daycare or school.
• Family and Friends – If you have a protective order, make sure to tell trusted family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and your boss that you have it. Make sure that they know what your abuser looks like.
• Leaving Work – Make up a safety plan for when you leave work. Have someone walk you to your car or bus. Go home different ways. Plan for what you would do if your abuser follows you.

Workplace bullying is any conduct intended to intimidate, humiliate, or target you to create a reaction. 

The four main types of workplace bullying are:

• Verbal
• Cyberbullying
• Social exclusion
• Sabotage

Among Adult Americans: 

• 32% directly suffer abusive conduct at work
• 14% witness it
• 46% are affected by it
• 72% are aware that workplace bullying happens

The industries most affected by workplace  bullying are retail (60%), healthcare (30%-60%),  hospitality (38%),  education (32%), and technology/IT (30%). 

71% of workplace bullies are male.

Among the victims of workplace bullying, 51% of women report experiencing it, compared to 46.5% of men. Non-binary individuals report the lowest incidence, at just 6%, likely due to their smaller representation in many workplaces.

Men bullied by men comprised the largest group (36%), followed by women bullied by men (29%), women bullied by women (18%), and the rarest of all, men bullied by women (9%).

Bullying prevalence with hybrid/remote employees:

• 51%, was worst for hybrid employees who mix remote with on-site work.
• Remote workers were bullied at a rate equal to the national rate, 32%
• Onsite only, 26%

Rate of bullied Americans by race:

• African-American, 44%
• Hispanic, 34%
• White, 30%
• Asian, 26%

What Stopped the Bullying in Worst Case Situations

• Target quit, 26%
• Target forced out, 18%
• Target transferred, 10%
• Target fired, 8%
• Perpetrator punished, 13%
• Employer action, 9%
• Perpetrator fired, 7%
• Perpetrator quit, 7%
• Coworker action, 2%

Unfortunately, Targeted employees have a 62% chance of losing the jobs they loved for no legitimate reason.

Source, 2024 WBIU.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, Workplace Bullying Institute

Bullying in the workplace may be illegal, depending on the  circumstances. It violates employment discrimination laws when it  targets a person based on their specific characteristics (protected  classes). 

• Race discrimination
• Religious discrimination
• Color discrimination
• National origin discrimination
• Gender discrimination
• Sexual orientation discrimination
• Gender identity and expression discrimination
• Disability discrimination
• Military status discrimination
• Ethnicity discrimination
• Citizenship status discrimination

The following federal and state laws prohibit bullying based on protected classes. 

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act
• The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Acts
• The Equal Pay Act
• The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
• The Genetics Information Nondiscrimination Act
• The Pregnancy Discrimination Act

These laws also protect you if the bullying results in you getting fired from work because you complained.

However, there is currently no federal law that would allow workers to sue for

harassment without requiring a showing of discrimination.

The following are the only states/territories to have implemented some form of anti-bullying laws.

• California - Requires  workplaces with 50 or more employees to have abusive conduct training as  part of existing state-mandated harassment prevention training.
• Tennessee - Passed  a “Healthy Workplace” bill in 2015 that encourages employers to adopt  anti-bullying policies which immunize them from liability in lawsuits  alleging intentional or negligent infliction of mental anguish due to  the abusive conduct of employees.
• Puerto Rico - Passed  the “Act to Prohibit and Prevent Workplace Harassment” (House Bill 306)  in 2020, which aims to prohibit and prevent abusive conduct against  employees in the workplace, affecting worker performance, altering  workplace peace, and threatening employee dignity.
• Utah - Passed  a law in 2015 requiring state agencies to train supervisors and  employees on ways to prevent abusive conduct, defining abusive conduct,  its ramifications, and providing resources and grievance processes for  employees subject to abusive conduct. 

If  you’re experiencing workplace bullying, it’s essential to document the incidents and report the behavior. 

1. Keep a detailed record of each bullying incident, including dates, times, locations, witnesses, and a description of what happened.
2. Save any emails, messages, or other forms of communication that demonstrate the bullying behavior.
3. Review your company’s policy on bullying and harassment to understand the reporting process.
4. Schedule a meeting with your supervisor or HR representative to discuss the situation and present your evidence.
5. If your company fails to address the issue adequately, consider seeking legal advice from an employment law attorney.

• Set clear boundaries
• Stay calm and professional
• Seek  support from trusted coworkers
• Practice self-care