Nearly All Low-Income Women Abused During Life Study Says 83 Percent Of Poor Moms Suffer Severe Physical Or Sexual Abuse

For years, experts have warned that poor women are among the most likely to suffer from physical abuse by their partners.

But a study released today indicates the situation may be much graver than most people realize, with data showing that nearly every low-income woman in America can expect to be hit, slapped or otherwise physically abused during her lifetime.

Among poor mothers, researchers found that 83 percent have been victims of severe physical violence or sexual abuse, with 61 percent of them being beaten by their mates at some point during adulthood.

And the assaults almost always involved some type of severe abuse, with 79 percent of those reporting they had suffered from injuries such as bruises, cuts, burns, concussions or hair loss. More than a third of those women had to seek medical treatment.

The findings are outlined in a new survey for Better Homes Fund, a nonprofit organization that conducted a six-year study of 436 low-income or homeless families in Worcester, Mass.

Although the figures appear to be startlingly high, experts on the subject say they are not surprised at the findings, particularly those that show 83 percent being victimized.

“I was going to say 80 percent, but that sounds about right,” said Carol L. Motylewski, chief of the domestic violence section in California’s Department of Health Services.

The numbers paint an especially bleak portrait of the status of domestic violence in this country among the poor:

Nearly one-third of the women surveyed said they had been victims of violence by their current or most recent partners.

More than one-third said their partners had threatened to kill themselves. One-third also threatened to kill their victims.

Among women who had ended a relationship, 35 percent reported they had been assaulted or threatened afterward.

And more than 40 percent said they had experienced major depression and 28 percent said they had attempted suicide at least once, most frequently during adolescence.

The survey was made of low-income families in Worcester, a city of 169,000 where 15 percent of the inhabitants are below the poverty line, which researchers said is typical of cities that size.

Officials say the reasons for the high rates among the poor may be attributed to a variety of forces, from substance and alcohol abuse to the fact that many women who are victimized while children end up in abusive relationships as adults.

But researchers warned that the problem may be especially serious because more women and children are slipping below the poverty line and may find themselves victims of family violence.

Experts are additionally concerned by the fact that by the time a woman reports physical abuse she typically has been beaten several times.

“It’s pretty sad,” Motylewski said. “When you think about the underreporting and women who don’t ever tell, the problem could be even more staggering.”