Victimization survey results show that almost half of adult women in the City and Borough of Sitka have experienced intimate partner violence or sexual violence or both

The results of the 2012 Victimization Survey for the City and Borough of Sitka were released at a press conference on October 19 in Sitka.  The troubling numbers show that:

• 47% of adult women in the City and Borough of Sitka have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence or both, in their lifetime;
•  Nearly 7% have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence or both, in the past year;
• One out of every four adult women in the City and Borough of Sitka have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime; and 
• Four out of every 10 have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime.

The survey was designed to measure the lifetime and past year exposure to sexual violence and intimate partner violence. It was conducted from March to May 2012 in the City and Borough of Sitka through a contract with the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA), with supplemental funding from the Governor's Choose Respect initiative to end the epidemic of domestic violence and sexual assault in Alaska. Respondents were randomly selected by phone (using both land lines and cellphones).  Details of the survey are available at: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/justice/avs/

More Information:
For more background on this project, visit http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/justice/avs/
For more information about CDVSA, visit http://www.dps.state.ak.us/CDVSA/
For more information about resources in Sitka visit http:www.safv.org/

Below are links to media coverage of this event:

• "Survey Aims to Reduce Violence Against Women" by Anne Brice (KCAW Raven Radio, Oct 22, 2012).
• "Survey Sets Goal Of Curbing Violence" (Daily Sitka Sentinel, Oct 25, 2012).