Utah Specific Statistics

Utah’s domestic violence statistics are very high compared to other states. Utah is famous for its natural landscape, friendliness and strict alcohol laws. Are these statistics then a surprise? Is this shocking or not? Quoting directly from Attorneys at Law, Phillips and Skidmore, here are Utah’s numbers on domestic violence:

 

Today, there are approximately 1,905 domestic violence shelters dispersed across the United States, in 2013 87 percent of these shelters participated in the National Census of Domestic Violence Services. This Census survey compiled national and statewide statistics.

Out of the 17 shelters in Utah, all 17 participated in the survey. The survey uncovered that on a single day in the state of Utah: 

            -614 victims came to emergency shelters

            -234 victims received non-shelter support

            -190 victims called support hotlines 

If these numbers seem low, keep in mind that Utah has a population of about 2,855,000 people. Arkansas is slightly ahead, with a population of roughly 2,949,000 people. Yet Arkansas’ results in the same survey:

            -333 victims came to emergency shelters

            -181 victims received non-shelter support

            -150 victims called support hotlines

While Arkansas is roughly identical to Utah in size – in fact it’s a little larger – only half as many people in Arkansas had to seek out shelters as those in Utah. 

Over the past five years, the number of victims who are housed in private shelters has shot up by 41 percent. In 2008, 76,767 Utahans spent the night in shelters. By 2012, that number had risen to 108,377. 

You might expect such bloated figures from a densely packed state like California or New 

York, but sparsely populated Utah? Utah, which only ranks #35 for population by state? 

There is no one reason researchers can find as to why these numbers so high. Awareness is the first step in getting these numbers lower in the year(s) to come.