Alaska Victimization Survey results show that over half of adult women in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough have experienced intimate partner violence or sexual violence or both

The results of the 2013 Alaska Victimization Survey for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough were released on October 8 at 12 noon in Wasilla.  The troubling numbers show that:

• 53% of adult women in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence or both, in their lifetime;
• 9% have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence or both, in the past year;
• More than 3 out of every 10 adult women in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime; and 
• More than 4 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 April to July 2013 in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough through a contract with the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA). 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/

• Summary document
• PowerPoint presentation

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 the Matnauska-Susitna Borough, visit Alaska Family Services http://www.akafs.org/

Below are links to media coverage of this event:

• "Survey Reveals Mat-Su Women Domestic & Sexual Violence Statistics" by Corey Allen-Young (KTUU Channel 2 News, 8 Oct 2013). 6-minute story includes an in-studio interview with Dr. André B. Rosay about the AVS study.

• "Survey paints grim picture of violence against women in Mat-Su" by Zaz Hollander (Anchorage Daily News, 8 Oct 2013).
• "Mat-Su cannot escape Alaska's dishonor" by Jill Burke (Alaska Dispatch, 8 Oct 2013).
• "Survey Indicates High Rate of Sexual Assault in Mat-Su Borough" by Ellen Lockyer (includes audio) (KSKA Radio, Alaska Public Media, 9 Oct 2013).
• "Survey: More than half of Valley women have experienced violence" by Heather A. Resz (Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, 10 Oct 2013).
• "Domestic Violence Numbers Demand Community Action" (editorial) (Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, 10 Oct 2013).
• "Our View: To change violence numbers, we need to change lives" (editorial) (Anchorage Daily News, 10 Oct 2013). Republished as "Alaska Editorial: To Change violence numbers, we need to change lives" in the Juneau Empire (16 Oct 2013).
• "Spectrum: Explaining the 53 percent" (opinion) by Judy Gette (Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, 24 Oct 2013).