Sure! In addition to being a firefighter/medic I’m also on the board of directors for our local domestic violence shelter. For example, Alaska has the highest rate per capita of women killed by domestic partners out of anywhere else in the nation. I’ll talk to our executive director and see if I can get specific names of the reports and studies that are being cited – because there are a LOT of studies that have been done.
In the example below, it shows how Alaskans are “pretty sure we’ve got high DV/SA rates” but that Alaska ranks first or in the top five.
Here is a great source of information from ANDVSA, the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Results from the Alaska ANDVSA Public Opinion Research Survey conducted by Hellenthal & Associates, 2006. The survey participants consist of 605 randomly called people distributed across the state. Margin of error is ± 4%. There is also a good site here DVSA-DRC: Alaska that details some of the mandatory reporting and statistic gathering that is taking place in Alaska.
How Informed Are Alaskans About Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Issues?
• 49.3% think Alaska is ranked among the top states for sexual assault rates. In fact, Alaska has the highest rates of sexual assault (“Table 5: Crime in the United State by State.” FBI Uniform Crime Report, 2005).
• 83.1% think Alaska is ranked at or near the top for rates of domestic violence. Alaska continuously ranks in the top five states. Alaska had the highest rate of female homicides in 2004 (Violence Policy Center, 2006).
How Does Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Affect Alaskans?
• 74.7% have experienced or know someone who has experienced domestic violence or sexual assault.
• 93% said they would intervene if they knew someone experiencing domestic or sexual violence, and 61.6% believe other members of the community would intervene.
Sadly, child abuse and neglect are also huge problems in AK.
http://www.indicators.ak.org/indicators/gifs/ChildAbuseReptRate98.gif
In Alaska, the Office of Childrens Services collects data on reported cases. Office of Children’s Services, Alaska
There is also a good informational site here about RID, a program to help eradicate child abuse in AK: RID Alaska Child Abuse