One in four. That’s how many women surveyed by the U.S. government said they’d had an intimate partner choke, beat, stab, shoot, punch, slam them against something or pull their hair, according to a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and reported by The Associated Press.

The survey marks the beginning of an annual project on violence against women. The findings, which reported rates of rape, abuse, and health problems experienced by abuse victims, was called “astounding.”

For the survey, CDC researchers conducted a randomized telephone survey of about 9,000 women and 7,400 women. Those surveyed were anonymous, and no documentation was sought to prove their claims.

Researchers noted that as many as 29 million women said they’d suffered physical violence at the hands of a spouse, boyfriend or partner. What’s more, when scientists expanded the definition of physical violence to include slapping, pushing and shoving, the number rose to 36 million.

In addition, researchers also found startlingly high numbers of rape. As many as 1.3 million women reported being raped. This statistic is more than seven times greater than figures showed for the number of women who reported they’d been raped in a Department of Justice survey conducted last year. While the difference in numbers can be explained by how the surveys were done and the way physical violence was defined, the numbers didn’t seem to surprise those who work with abused women.

“I think that the awareness is growing,” said Kim Frndak, a community educator for the Women’s Rescue Center to End Domestic Violence. “More and more people are saying [this is something we need to pay attention to].… Someone in your circle is being affected by domestic violence, and the effects can be devastating.”
 
Did you know domestic violence can cause post-traumatic stress disorder? Click here to read more.