I heard someone say this week that being a woman isn’t an extreme sport, it’s a fight for survival. And she might be right. In many parts of the world, women are under threat, often from the very people that are meant to love and protect them.
According to an FBI report released earlier this year, there were 1.1 million (reported) cases of domestic violence between 2020 and 2024. Around three quarters of the victims were female. Sadly, 11,000 did not survive.
A terrified woman has shared a first-hand account of how she’s being forced to flee home with her four children. She fears for her life, after her navy husband hit her and attacked one of their kids. The mom plans to drive 1200 miles across America, with just $120 to her name. It all started when she confronted her husband of 16 years about his months-long affair.
Domestic violence is on the increase, with more than a million cases reported in the US in the last five years
Here's one mom's harrowing account of trying to escape her violent navy husband, with just $120 to her name
She provided more disturbing details as shocked netizens offered some advice
Some people were disgusted, others advised the woman to notify her husband's commanding officers
Things later took a violent turn... 911 was called and the base went into lockdown
The wife shared how she braved the court system alone, and was granted a protection order
Some people suggested she arm herself and she explained why she couldn't
Netizens were deeply concerned for the woman's safety
The woman later shared how she and the children fled to a shelter, after her husband ignored the protection order
The exasperated woman then told how she was being sent from pillar to post
"Men need to hold other men accountable": People were shocked by how things were unfolding
In a bittersweet update, she shared a photo of her son's 10th birthday celebration at the shelter
The woman's resilience shone through as she interacted with netizens
Women praised the mom for her bravery, strength and kindness
"I have $120": The woman revealed her plans to flee the state, and asked for advice
People offered what they could
She detailed how she'd be driving over 1,000 miles, with limited food, to get to her mother
People shared their reactions and affordable meal tips for the trip
And at last, the final update everyone had been waiting for: "My kids will never sleep afraid for their lives again"
She thanked everyone for their life-saving tips, and gave more details about her journey
Report reveals more than 1 million domestic violence victims in 5 years in the USA alone
The FBI’s 2026 Domestic Violence Special Report paints a grim picture. It tracks domestic crimes committed in a 5-year period from 2020 to the end of 2024. The report notes that the percentage of violent crimes within domestic relationships has increased.
More than 11,000 victims lost their lives to domestic violence and an additional 1.1 million people survived being attacked. Nearly 75 percent of the victims were female. The majority of perpetrators were male. “Of the 1,109,797 victims of other violent crimes involving domestic relationships, 694,552 sustained 755,110 injuries,” the report reads.
The FBI says that the most reported weapon type for domestic and non-domestic relationships from 2020 through 2024 was personal weapons (i.e., hands, fists, feet). “From 2020 through 2024, firearms were involved in 13.7% of violent society/">crime incidents involving domestic relationships, but for those incidents that reported non-domestic relationships that number was higher, 32.6%,” it adds.
Most of the violent crimes were committed at residences/homes, followed by highways/roads/alleys/streets/sidewalks and parking/drop lots/garages.
The FBI has also released an analysis of teen relationship violence in 2024. That too, paints a grim picture, with more than 70,500 incidents of teen relationship violence in one year.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reveals that in their lifetimes, nearly 1 in 3 women and about 1 in 8 men experienced violence and/or stalking and at least one related impact. "Some impacts included physical injury, missing work or school, safety concerns, medical care needs, and filing a police report," the CDC's site notes.
The CDC adds that 1 in 5 homicide victims lose their life at the hands of an intimate partner, and in over half of female homicide cases, the perpetrators is a current or former male intimate partner.
Besides the obvious physical injuries, survivors of domestic violence are at risk of many other health issues. “These include conditions affecting the heart, muscles and bones, and digestive, reproductive, and nervous systems, many of which are chronic,” the CDC warns.
Survivors can also experience mental health problems such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. And they’re at higher risk of engaging in substance use.
Many people were moved by the entire ordeal and relieved that the family was now safe
