Domestic Violence is Preventable

Domestic violence is preventable when we address its root causes and challenge cultural norms that tolerate abuse. Prevention efforts must focus on education about healthy relationships for both youth and adults, ensuring that individuals learn to recognize and reject abusive behaviors early on. Community-based interventions that hold those who cause harm accountable can help disrupt cycles of abuse, while economic and housing support for survivors provides the stability needed to escape dangerous situations. Additionally, policies that prioritize survivor safety are essential in creating systemic change. Preventing domestic violence requires collective community-based action through education, advocacy, and equitable support for survivors.

1 in 2 California adults (46%)

have experienced some form of intimate partner violence] in their lifetime.

2023 CalVEX report

Nation-wide, 54% of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming people

reported physical or coercive violence from a partner in 2015

transequality.org

In California, hundreds of survivors of DV

seek emergency shelter each year.

nnedv.org

Firearms are a leading factor

in intimate partner homicides, significantly increasing the risk of fatal violence

endinggv.org

Why People Abuse

People who abuse their partners do so as a means of exerting power and control, and their behavior is learned, not an uncontrollable impulse or the result of stress, mental illness, or substance use. Many individuals who use violence have sometimes witnessed or experienced abuse in their own lives, normalizing harmful behaviors in relationships. Societal norms that excuse or minimize abuse further reinforce these patterns, allowing rigid gender roles and entitlement to dictate how some individuals treat their partners.

At its core, abuse is about dominance—those who harm their partners do so to maintain control, often using psychological, emotional, physical, financial, and other forms of coercion. However, because abuse is learned, it can also be unlearned and prevented. Through education, accountability, and cultural shifts that challenge the acceptance of violence, we can disrupt the cycle of abuse and promote healthy, equitable relationships.

Root causes of domestic violence

Domestic violence does not happen in isolation, it is connected to broader systems of inequality and oppression. Some of the key root causes include:

  • Gender inequality
  • Racism, inequity, and discrimination
  • Economic disparity
  • Cultural and social norms
  • Lack of legal protections and barriers to justice
  • Barriers to accessing comprehensive support and services

Solutions

The Partnership’s Priority Issue Areas

To end domestic violence in California and beyond, we must address the issues which contribute to violence. Structural barriers – such as lack of access to affordable and safe housing, economic security, and legal protections – are factors that cause violence and make it harder for survivors to find safety and healing. The Partnership works with our members and partners to break down those barriers, and in doing so, create solutions to domestic violence. We do this by developing survivor-centered legislation and learning opportunities and convening our statewide network to strengthen domestic violence services in California. Here are the key areas where we work to create solutions to domestic violence:

Homelessness, housing insecurity, and domestic violence are fundamentally linked; neither can be solved without addressing the other. Domestic violence is a leading driver in homelessness for women, making housing a critical resource to ensure a survivor’s safety: Nationally, 57% of unhoused women reported domestic violence was an immediate cause of their homelessness. In California, 22% of unhoused individuals reported experiencing domestic violence, according to the state’s Homeless Data Integration System (HDIS) demographic data. Survivors and all Californians deserve safe, affordable and accessible housing that is free from violence. We can achieve this when housing authorities and institutions prioritize survivor needs and share decision-making power with domestic violence service providers.

In the service of this goal, we lead the HOME cohort, a collaborative workgroup focused on improving how our housing and homelessness systems respond to the needs of survivors. We lead efforts to build multi-disciplinary collaborations and increase the domestic violence field’s knowledge, tools, and resources to secure housing for survivors. Additionally, the Partnership is urging California legislators to make up for declining federal Victims of Crime Act funds in the State Budget. Our goal is to preserve the domestic violence field’s vital emergency and long-term housing options for survivors.

Domestic violence is a preventable public health crisis in California that harms millions. We envision a state where people have the resources they need to build safe, healthy, and supportive communities and where young people have access to healthy relationship education. By teaching future generations healthy relationship skills and how to recognize the signs of toxic and abusive behavior, we can prevent violence before it can occur. Education that prevents teen dating violence, especially for vulnerable youth, is crucial now more than ever. The California Healthy Kids Survey surveyed 9,371 California students and found that 42.4% of those who identified as LGBTQ experienced dating violence victimization within their lifetimes. 

The Partnership supports our members who work to shift norms in their communities. We provide training and one-on-one assistance in the development of effective strategies like healthy relationship education among youth and adults, as well as supporting community-level changes that protect against violence and abuse. The Partnership has been instrumental in establishing funding for this work across the state.

One study of women in abusive relationships revealed that financial abuse affected 99% of participants. This can include stealing money, credit, property, or identity from a partner. Access to financial stability and freedom can give those experiencing domestic violence the resources they need to escape a violent situation and even prevent violence from occurring in the first place.

The Partnership recognizes economic insecurity as a root cause of domestic violence. We are working to strengthen California’s social safety net programs and increase access to and awareness of California’s Paid Family Leave Program, so that more families can be financially stable while caring for a seriously ill family member or bonding with a new child. This supports families through life’s most stressful moments, reducing the risk of abuse and supporting overall family well-being. We call on legislators to support policies that create financial relief, stability, and wellness for survivors and all Californians.

The presence of firearms in dangerous or abusive situations can increase the likelihood of severe injury or fatality. In fact, a woman is five times more likely to be killed if the intimate partner causing her harm has access to a firearm. Firearms pose a high risk of lethality for people experiencing domestic violence and their communities: one study found that nearly one third of mass shooters had a history of domestic violence.

California is a leader in keeping families safe from gun violence in abusive situations. To strengthen our state’s leadership, courts and law enforcement must act more quickly to remove firearms when domestic violence occurs. It is imperative that all Californians, especially those experiencing domestic violence, have access to both legal and non-legal measures that can keep them safe. This includes community-based intervention programs, the range of legal remedies currently available, and the protections provided under both civil and criminal laws. These are designed to reduce the likelihood that someone who has become prohibited from having firearms will be able to keep or obtain them. Alongside our members and partners, the Partnership created EndingGV.org, a toolkit designed to support survivors in their safety and healing, prevent gun violence and provide vital resources to domestic violence service providers.

Gun Violence