Violence
Minority Women's Health > American Indians/Alaska Natives > Health Topics > Violence
Violence affects women from all backgrounds. It is a leading cause of injury for American women between the ages of 15 and 54, but violence can happen at any age. Violence can have terrible and costly results for everyone involved, including families, communities, and society. Violence can take many forms including domestic or intimate partner violence, sexual assault and abuse, dating violence, and elder abuse. Learn more about the different types of violence in our Violence Against Women section.
According to the National Violence Against Women survey, at least one out of every three American Indian/Alaska Native females has been subject to intimate partner violence. Intimate partner violence includes rape, physical assault, or stalking. American Indian/Alaska Native women have the highest rates of intimate partner violence compared to all other groups. One in ten American Indian/Alaska Native women has been stalked in her lifetime.
If you have been hurt by someone, keep in mind, it is not your fault. You did not cause the abuse to occur, and you are not responsible for the violent behavior of someone else.
If you’re in an abusive relationship, be careful when using the Internet.
Your computer use can be tracked so protect your privacy. By cleaning the cache and history and erasing the cookies on your computer, others are not able to go onto your computer and check up on what you have been doing. However, if you have any reason to suspect that someone may be tracking your computer usage, they may grow suspicious if all records of internet activity disappear.
For more information and directions on protecting your privacy, visit www.rainn.org/about/user-safety-procedures.html |
Publications
Violence Against Women — Too many women suffer violence at the hands of someone close to them. This web page provides abused women and their loved ones with resources and information they can use to get help. It also gives information about different types of abuse, including domestic violence, sexual abuse and assault, dating violence, and elder abuse. Look for help near you with this list of state anti-violence programs. http://www.womenshealth.gov/violence/
American Indian Health — This web site is an information portal for and about the health of native peoples of the United States. The topics include cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and environmental health. http://americanindianhealth.nlm.nih.gov/
State Sexual Assault Coalitions — This publication contains a list of addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers of coalitions across the country who help with domestic violence. http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/statesexual.htm
Understanding Intimate Partner Violence — This fact sheet provides statistical information on the number of women who are victims of intimate partner violence (IPV), characteristics of the most common victims and perpetrators of IPV, and the effects it can have on a person and society as a whole. http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/ipv_factsheet.pdf
Understanding Sexual Violence — This fact sheet discusses the prevalence and incidence of sexual violence, the associated risk factors, and consequences. It also provides some strategies for trying to prevent sexual violence. http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/images/SV%20Factsheet.pdf
Violence Against Native Women — This page provides resources for patients, providers, community health officials, and more about violence against Native American women. http://www.ihs.gov/MedicalPrograms/MCH/V/index.cfm
Are You Being Abused? (Copyright © ACOG) — This simple true-false quiz helps victims and those who care about them identify the signs of abuse. It encourages victims to seek assistance and gives phone numbers to call for help. http://www.acog.org/from_home/departments/dept_notice.cfm?recno=17&bulletin=198
Domestic Violence: Protecting Yourself and Your Children (Copyright © AAFP) — This fact sheet provides information on how to protect yourself and your children from domestic violence, where to go to get help, and other facts you should know about domestic violence. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/safety/kids-family/052.html
Get Help (Copyright © CSVANW) — This page provides useful information for American Indian/Alaska Native women who are victims of violence. http://www.csvanw.org/gethelp.htm
Mending the Sacred Loop Technical Assistance Brochures (Copyright © MSH-TA) — These three brochures help inform and educate Native American people about domestic violence, abusive relationships, and respectful relationships. These brochures are easily duplicated and customized so that any organization addressing violence against women can use them in its own program. http://www.msh-ta.org/brochures.htm
Violence Against Women in American Indian/Native American & Alaska Native Communities (Copyright © VAWnet) — This fact sheet explains the epidemic of domestic violence in the United States and highlights the resources available that can be used in the Americans Indian/Alaskan Native community. http://new.vawnet.org/category/Main_Doc.php?docid=775
Organizations
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Administration for Native Americans, HHS
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Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice
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Family Violence Prevention Fund
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National Center for Victims of Crime
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National Domestic Violence Hotline
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Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network
= Indicates Federal Resources
Current as of December 2007 |