On Friday night, Elliot Rodger allegedly killed six people and wounded 13 others near a Santa Barbara, California university campus. The rampage came after Rodger posted a YouTube video in which he said it was “an injustice, a crime” that women have never been attracted to him and that he was going to “punish you all for it” and “slaughter every single blonde slut I see.”
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While the debate in the aftermath of the shooting will likely focus on gun legislation — lawmakers are already calling for a renewed focus on background checks and other measures — and mental health resources, it is also becoming a discussion about widespread misogyny. The hashtag #YesAllWomen became a venue on Twitter for women to share personal stories and experiences. As the country tries to reckon with the tragedy, it will have to grapple with a climate in which men perpetrate violence against womenon a daily basis, violence that is deeply embedded within our society.
Here are some facts that paint the picture:
-More than one in three women will experience rape, violence, and/or stalking at the hands of an intimate partner in their lifetimes.
-Eighty-five percent of intimate partner violence victims are women.
-About three women are killed by their partners every day. One in 13 murder victims are killed by their intimate partners.
-Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44.
—One in six women with bone or joint fractures is a recent victim of abuse.
-Violence is often paired with controlling behavior: women whose partners are jealous, controlling, or verbally abusive are significantly more likely to report rape, physical assault, and/or stalking from their partners.