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Domestic Violence In The United States: A Preliminary Report Prepared For Rashida Manjoo, U.N. Special Rapporteur On Violence Against Women, Brenda V. Smith, Caroline Bettinger-Lopez, Farrah Elchahal, Miraisy Rodriguez, Monika Siwiec, Christina Brandt-Young, Kirsten Carlson, Gabrielle Davis, Margaret Drew, Rebecca Landy, Adam Dubin, Rachel Natelson, Sandra Park, Ana Romes, Jessica Rubenstein, Cynthia Soohoo, Cheryl Thomas, Sandra Jezierski, Casey R. Schultz

Reports

Domestic violence is a distinctive and complex type of violence. The intimate relationship between the victim and the perpetrator is historically construed as private and therefore beyond the reach of law. The often hidden site of the violence buttresses this conceptualization. The victim is often financially dependent on her abuser, and other economic and familial factors complicate the victim’s response to abuse. Moreover, women who complain of domestic violence frequently face intimidation, retaliation, and stigmatization, and thus incidents of domestic violence are notoriously under-reported and under-prosecuted throughout the world, including the United States.

Any meaningful analysis of the nature and …