Rates of reported domestic violence in the U.S. have declined by nearly three-quarters over the last two decades, but physical and psychological domestic abuse remain a prevalent and often hidden problem. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nearly 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of violence by an intimate partner. Domestic violence recently made headlines after Cape Coral Mayor Marni Sawicki's ex-husband was arrested on charges of domestic battery and strangling at a Miami hotel.
The Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that in 2014, more than 106,000 crimes of domestic violence were reported in the state, leading to more than 64,000 arrests.
Mayor Sawicki told the News-Press, “If it can happen at a very high-profile mayors conference, it’s happening to millions every day.” She joins the show to share her experience as a victim of domestic violence.
Also joining the show is Christine Kobie, an educator with ACT Abuse Counseling and Treatment, Inc. in Fort Myers to explore the impacts of domestic violence and finding help for victims.
