The statistics are sobering and scary. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are victims of physical violence by a partner every year and every 9 seconds a woman in the United States is beaten or assaulted by a current or ex-significant other. Very scary stuff there. To put this in perspective, the number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq between 2001 and 2012 is 6,488. The number of women that were murdered by current or ex-male partners during that same time frame is 11,766, according to the Huffington Post. This is so very disturbing that the number of women killed in our own country is more than we lost in a war zone.

No group is immune to domestic violence, it can happen no matter your age, race, religion, financial status, or educational level. And it's not just men who are the perpetrators, women can also be abusers.

There is help available to the victims of domestic violence, in addition to calling the police department. You can reach out to the Crisis Resource Center in Steele County, and the Hope Center in Rice County. The Owatonna Police Department also has a publication on their website that explains the difference between an Order for Protection and a Harassment Order.

Tomorrow I will share how to spot abuse and what can be done if you see it. With the #metoo campaign, we should all be aware of domestic violence.

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