Domestic Violence

Donna Ferrato

Black Star for Life Magazine

Story Summary, The problem of wife beating affects every level of society throughout the world. It is equally prevalent in rich suburbs and burnt-out ghettos. In America a woman is beaten every 18 seconds. Three to four million women are battered each year. In 1985, 1,350 women were killed by their spouses, ex-spouses or boyfriends. National surveys indicate serious violence occurs in as many as one out of four marriages. Dr. C. Everett Koop, Surgeon General of the United States has officially stated that domestic violence is the No. 1 health problem facing American women. Caption, Jane from Duluth, Minnesota, one week after a terrible beating. 'The police didn't charge him with a felony. He didn't break any bones. I intend to press charges. Maybe he'll get 90 days. I hope I never have to see him again. But unfortunately, he is the kind of man who will always find another woman to beat up.'

Donna Ferrato, "Domestic Violence," in POYi Archive, Item #17385, http://archive.poy.org/index.php/items/show/17385 (accessed June 9, 2025).