Banyard, Victoria

Bujno, Lisa

Laflamme, David

Mattern, Grace

Moynihan, Mary M.

Potter, Sharyn J.

English

UNH Scholars' Repository

University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Peer-Reviewed and Other Publications Prevention Innovations Research Center (PIRC) 1-1-2007 Violence Against Women in New Hampshire Grace Mattern New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and SexualViolence Victoria Banyard University of New Hampshire, Victoria.banyard@unh.edu Lisa Bujno NH Department of Health and Human Services David Laflamme University of New Hampshire Mary M. Moynihan University of New Hampshire, Mary.Moynihan@unh.edu See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/pirc Recommended Citation Banyard V, Bujno L, Laflamme D, Mattern G, Moynihan M, and Potter SJ (Collaborators are listed alphabetically). (2007). Violence Against Women in New Hampshire. Report released at a New Hampshire Attorney General press conference on March 30, 2007. New Hampshire Attorney General Office. Concord, New Hampshire. This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Prevention Innovations Research Center (PIRC) at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Peer-Reviewed and Other Publications by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu. Authors Grace Mattern, Victoria Banyard, Lisa Bujno, David Laflamme, Mary M. Moynihan, and Sharyn J. Potter This report is available at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository: https://scholars.unh.edu/pirc/61 Every person deserves to live a life free of physical and sexualviolence, but the results of the first ever New HampshireViolence Against Women Survey reveal that is not the reality forthousands of women in our state.   Nearly one in four women in New Hampshire hasbeen sexually assaulted. At least a third of New Hampshire women have beenthe victim of a physical assault by an intimate partner. More than half of all women in our state haveexperienced sexual and/or physical assault over thecourse of their lifetime.  The high prevalence of violence against women in NewHampshire has serious consequences that affect the well-beingof our communities.  Both the NH Violence Against WomenSurvey and other research show that victims of sexual andphysical violence have poorer health, are at significantlyincreased risk for mental health and substance abuse problems,and are affected economically.  Fortunately, New Hampshire has a comprehensive network oflocal programs to provide direct services to victims and has astrong history of collaborative efforts directed at improvingsocietal and systemic responses to victims.  We cannot afford toignore the high rates of violence against women in our state.We need to strengthen our resolve to directly confront theabuse of women and support efforts to create communities,societal systems and institutions that support victims, and holdabusers accountable for the harm they cause.  More specificrecommendations are included later in this report.  Violence Against Women in New Hampshire A report from The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual ViolenceThe SurveyA collaborative project of the University of New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services,and the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (NHCADSV), this survey of violenceagainst women in our state found rates of violence that were comparable to, or higher than, those in a nationalsurvey.  The recent survey of adult women was conducted by the UNH Survey Center using questions from theCenters for Disease Control and the National Institute of Justice 1996 National Violence Against Women Survey.SEXUAL ASSAULT:The number of women who have been the victim of a sexual assault could fill Fenway Park more than 3 times over.The New Hampshire Violence Against Women Survey found that 22.7% of women have been the victim of a sexualassault with 19.5% having been the victim of sexual assault with penetration.  These figures represent 112,909 NewHampshire women who have ever experienced sexual assault, or the number of women it would take to fill FenwayPark more than three times.  These rates of sexual assault are significantly higher than those found in the NationalViolence Against Women Survey in which 17.6% of women reported having been sexually assaulted and 14.8%reported being a victim of sexual assault including penetration.  However, it is important to note that this surveymeasured lifetime prevalence of assaults and did not determine where the assaults occurred.  While NewHampshire has a higher percentage of women currently living in the state who have been a victim of sexual assaultthan the national survey found, it can not be concluded that the assaults occurred in New Hampshire.INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE:The number of female victims in NH is greater than the population of Manchester and Concord combined by almost 14,000.Intimate partner violence has been experienced by at least 33.4% of New Hampshire women, a figure that isconsistent with the findings of the National Violence Against Women Survey.  Survey respondents were asked toidentify the most recent physical assault they had experienced and were asked who the perpetrator was.  Becauseprior assaults could have occurred, the number of women who have been assaulted by an intimate partner couldbe greater.  For the purposes of the survey, an intimate partner was any of the following: current spouse, ex-spouse, live-in partner or someone the victim was dating.  Based on the survey, it is estimated that 166,131women in New Hampshire have experienced physical assault by an intimate partner.  DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE IS AHEALTH  PROBLEM IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.Consistent with other research, women reportingmultiple types of abuse also reported poorer physicalhealth.  Women who report having a chronic disease ormedical condition were more likely to report sexualand physical violence than women who do not reporthaving a chronic disease or medical condition.VIOLENCE IMPACTS WOMEN OF ALL AGE GROUPS, BUT YOUNG WOMEN AND CHILDREN ARE AT GREATEST RISK FOR SEXUAL VIOLENCE.Sexual violence is a crime in which youth areparticularly at risk.  Forty one percent of the mostrecent sexual assaults reported in the New Hampshiresurvey occurred before the victim’s 18th birthday, and83% occurred before the age of 25.  In almost every age group at least 50%of women report having been a victim of sexual or physical assault.  2The relationship between health condition and physical and sexual assault 0%20%40%60%80%sexually assaulted physically assaultedWomen reporting chronic disease or health conditionWomen not reporting chronic disease or health conditionAge of women when they were forced to havesex by use of force or threat of harm16%25%42%12%5%0%10%20%30%40%50%12 and under 13-17 18-24 25-39 40 and overAge of WomanPercentPercentage of women reporting sexual or physical assault by age group0%20%40%60%80%100%18-24 25-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80 andoverAge of survey respondentTHE PERPETRATOR IS ALMOST ALWAYS SOMEONE THE VICTIM KNOWS.Consistent with previous research, the data show clearly that for the majority of victims of either sexual or physicalviolence, the perpetrator of the most recent assault they experienced was someone whom they knew. In NewHampshire, as elsewhere in the U.S., a woman is most likely to be harmed by someone in her own circle offriends and family.(Note:  Figures in the charts below do not add to 100% because some survey respondents reported more than one assault. It should benoted there were multiple types of assault that could be reported.)IN THE CASE OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE INPARTICULAR, THE PERPETRATOR IS MOSTLIKELY TO BE A SPOUSE, EX-SPOUSE ORCOHABITING PARTNER.  Of the women who report an incidence of violence,over 40% of the women ages 18-49 report that theywere sexually assaulted by a current or former intimatepartner.  At least 50% of the women in all but one agegroup report that they were physically assaulted by acurrent or former intimate partner. THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF  PERPETRATORS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ARE MEN.Based on the sample of incidents reported by the women in this study, all victims of sexual assault reported havingat least one perpetrator who was male. Only one participant indicated that she had been the victim of a femaleperpetrator. The pattern holds for physical violence as well, with 87.6% of victims reporting a male perpetrator,while only 29.8% reported that at least one perpetrator was female.3Relationship to perpetrator forsexual assault victims strangersomeone else the victim knewrelativedatingpartnerspouse12.3%45.6%21.1%27.2%13.2%0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%Relationship to perpetrator for physical violence victimsstrangersomeone else the victim knewrelativedatingpartnerspouse12.8%18.6%32.2%19%48.8%10%20%30%40%50%60%Percentage of women who report an incident of violence identifying a current or former intimate partner as the perpetratorsexual assault physical assault18-24 25-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80 andoverAge of Survey Respondent0%20%40%60%80%100%Participants reported a variety of experiences with violence, with 17% of women in the study reporting having experienced bothsexual and physical violence. 4Incidence of abusenonePhysical abuse Sexual abuseBoth physical and sexual abuseNo abusereported42.3%Both physicaland sexual abuse17%Sexualabuse  5.1%Physical abuse only35.6%Conclusion:The number of women in New Hampshire who haveexperienced sexual assault and/or physical violence isalarming, and underscores the need to support effortsto prevent these crimes from occurring, to provideinformation and support to victims, to hold perpetratorsaccountable for their abuse, and to raise awareness inour communities of the prevalence and consequencesof sexual assault and intimate partner violence.  Recommendations:Continue and Expand Funding for VictimServices in NH:  New Hampshire has acomprehensive network of 14 programs that providedirect services to victims of sexual and domesticviolence, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all ofwhich are members of the New Hampshire CoalitionAgainst Domestic and Sexual Violence.  Contactinformation for these crisis centers is provided at theend of this report.   While there is sufficient financialsupport to ensure that basic services are availablethroughout the state, all of the NHCADSV memberprograms face significant challenges in meeting thecomplex needs of victims.  Continued financialsupport from state and federal funding programs iscritical to ensuring that basic services aremaintained; increased support could help directservice programs to expand their services and bettermeet the needs of victims.Promote Routine Screening for Sexual Assaultand Intimate Partner Violence in MedicalSettings: Often, addressing past victimization canhelp improve the negative health consequences thatstem from the abuse.  Consistent with nationalsurveys, the NH Violence Against Women Surveyfound a clear link between victimization andnegative health consequences.  This findingunderscores the importance of health care providersroutinely screening patients regarding their historiesof past abuse, in order to provide appropriatereferrals to victim services.  Continue to Support Outreach and AwarenessActivities: In order to access the supportive servicesavailable through the 14 member programs of theNHCADSV, victims need to know about the services.The NH Violence Against Women Survey found that72% of survey respondents knew how to contacttheir local crisis center for help regarding sexualassault or intimate partner violence.  While this is anencouraging result, it also shows that 28% of peopledid not know about local services.  It remains criticalthat outreach and awareness programs be continuedso that victims know where to turn for help.Hold Perpetrators Accountable: Researchconsistently shows that criminal justice systemsanctions, reinforced by accountability across allcommunity systems, helps to reduce recidivism ofsexual and intimate partner violence offenders.  Allperpetrators of sexual or physical violence should beheld accountable for their crimes.  Encouragingcommunity attitudes that focus on the actions ofperpetrators, rather than the actions of victims,would help to ensure that victims do not feel blamedfor what happens to them and would make it easierfor victims to come forward to seek assistance andreport the crimes against them.  All members of acommunity, not just the police and courts, need toplay a part in reinforcing the message that sexualassault and intimate partner violence are always theresponsibility of the perpetrator, and the victim’sactions, no matter how seemingly “risky” or“provoking” should not be used to blame her.  Fund Primary Prevention Programs: Theprevention recommendations from the NewHampshire Violence Against Women State Planshould be implemented (http://doj.nh.gov/victim/docs/vio_against_w.pdf.) While the value ofprevention is widely acknowledged, it is rarelysupported financially, and prevention education onsexual assault and intimate partner violence is noexception.  Primary prevention, especially withyouth, is a priority for the NHCADSV and its memberprograms.  The development of evidence-basedprevention programs and bystander educationprograms that encourage all members of acommunity to contribute to preventing incidents ofsexual assault and intimate partner violence, haveprovided additional models for the prevention effortstaking place in New Hampshire.  However, thelimited financial resources to implement suchprograms restrict the amount of prevention work thatis being done.  The NH Violence Against WomenSurvey results confirming previous research findingsthat sexual violence is largely a crime perpetratedagainst youth, underscores the need for moresupport for prevention efforts targeting those in thehighest risk age groups.  Replicate Survey with Male Respondents:Understanding the extent of male victimization is animportant step in ensuring that adequate supportand outreach is provided to male victims.  The NewHampshire Violence Against Women Surveyprovides important documentation of the prevalenceof violence against women in New Hampshire, but itis also important to understand the extent of sexualassault and intimate partner violence among NewHampshire men.  Knowing from the NationalViolence Against Women Survey that women aremuch more commonly victims of sexual assault andintimate partner violence than men, only NewHampshire women were surveyed for this report,due to financial limitations.  Research DesignThe NH Violence Against Women Survey was asurvey of randomly selected adult females in thestate of New Hampshire, using Random DigitDialing, conducted by the University of NewHampshire Survey Center.  The random sample usedin the NH Violence Against Women Survey waspurchased from Scientific Telephones Samples.Interviews were conducted with 508 randomlyselected non-institutionalized adult females in thestate.  The interviews were conducted byprofessional interviewers between October 26 andNovember 20, 2006.  The study was funded by agrant from the University of New HampshireOutreach Scholars Program.  Further informationregarding the research design can be obtained bycontacting NHCADSV.  5NHCADSV Crisis Centers and Contact Information:Response to Sexual and Domestic Violence(Berlin, Colebrook, Lancaster)*office number (603)752-5679 Women’s Supportive Services (Claremont, Newport)*office number (603)543-0155 Rape and Domestic Violence Crisis Center (Concord)*office number (603) 225-7376 Starting Point (Conway, Ossipee)*office number (603) 356-7993Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention Program (SHARPP) UNH (Durham)*office number (603) 862-3494Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention (Keene, Jaffrey, Peterborough)*office number (603) 352-3782New Beginnings: A Women’s Crisis Center (Laconia)*office number (603) 528-6511WISE (Women’s Information Service) (Lebanon)*office number (603) 448-5922The Support Center at Burch House (Littleton, Woodsville)*office number (603) 444-0624YWCA Crisis Service (Manchester, Derry)*office number (603) 625-5785Bridges: Domestic and Sexual Violence Support (Nashua, Milford)*office number (603) 889-0858Voices Against Violence (Plymouth)*office number (603) 536-5999A Safe Place (Portsmouth, Rochester, Salem)*office number (603) 436-4619Sexual Assault Support Services (Portsmouth, Rochester)*office number (603) 436-4107Statewide Hotlines:Sexual Assault: 1-800-277-5570Domestic Violence: 1-866-644-3574NH Violence AgainstWomen Survey Committee:For further information about the NHViolence Against Women Survey or thisreport contact NHCADSV at 224-8893.Grace Mattern Executive DirectorNew Hampshire Coalition AgainstDomestic and Sexual ViolenceVictoria Banyard, PhDAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Psychology, JusticeStudies Program, and PreventionInnovationsUniversity of New HampshireLisa Bujno, MSN, ARNPChief, Bureau of Community HealthServicesDivision of Public Health ServicesNH Department of Health and HumanServicesDavid Laflamme, PhD, MPHResearch Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Health Management &Policy, University of New Hampshire Maternal & Child Health Epidemiologist,NH Department of Health and HumanServicesMary M. Moynihan, PhDWomen’s Studies Program, JusticeStudies Program, and PreventionInnovationsUniversity of New HampshireSharyn Potter, PhD, MPHAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Sociology and PreventionInnovationsUniversity of New Hampshire6

Violence Against Women in New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire 
University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository 
Peer-Reviewed and Other Publications Prevention Innovations Research Center (PIRC) 
1-1-2007 
Violence Against Women in New Hampshire 
Grace Mattern 
New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and SexualViolence 
Victoria Banyard 
University of New Hampshire, Victoria.banyard@unh.edu 
Lisa Bujno 
NH Department of Health and Human Services 
David Laflamme 
University of New Hampshire 
Mary M. Moynihan 
University of New Hampshire, Mary.Moynihan@unh.edu 
See next page for additional authors 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/pirc 
Recommended Citation 
Banyard V, Bujno L, Laflamme D, Mattern G, Moynihan M, and Potter SJ (Collaborators are listed 
alphabetically). (2007). Violence Against Women in New Hampshire. Report released at a New Hampshire 
Attorney General press conference on March 30, 2007. New Hampshire Attorney General Office. Concord, 
New Hampshire. 
This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Prevention Innovations Research Center (PIRC) at 
University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Peer-Reviewed and Other 
Publications by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more 
information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu. 
Authors 
Grace Mattern, Victoria Banyard, Lisa Bujno, David Laflamme, Mary M. Moynihan, and Sharyn J. Potter 
This report is available at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository: https://scholars.unh.edu/pirc/61 
Every person deserves to live a life free of physical and sexual
violence, but the results of the first ever New Hampshire
Violence Against Women Survey reveal that is not the reality for
thousands of women in our state.  
 Nearly one in four women in New Hampshire has
been sexually assaulted.
 At least a third of New Hampshire women have been
the victim of a physical assault by an intimate partner.
 More than half of all women in our state have
experienced sexual and/or physical assault over the
course of their lifetime.  
The high prevalence of violence against women in New
Hampshire has serious consequences that affect the well-being
of our communities.  Both the NH Violence Against Women
Survey and other research show that victims of sexual and
physical violence have poorer health, are at significantly
increased risk for mental health and substance abuse problems,
and are affected economically.  
Fortunately, New Hampshire has a comprehensive network of
local programs to provide direct services to victims and has a
strong history of collaborative efforts directed at improving
societal and systemic responses to victims.  We cannot afford to
ignore the high rates of violence against women in our state.
We need to strengthen our resolve to directly confront the
abuse of women and support efforts to create communities,
societal systems and institutions that support victims, and hold
abusers accountable for the harm they cause.  More specific
recommendations are included later in this report.  
Violence Against Women in 
New Hampshire 
A report from The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence
The Survey
A collaborative project of the University of New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services,
and the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (NHCADSV), this survey of violence
against women in our state found rates of violence that were comparable to, or higher than, those in a national
survey.  The recent survey of adult women was conducted by the UNH Survey Center using questions from the
Centers for Disease Control and the National Institute of Justice 1996 National Violence Against Women Survey.
SEXUAL ASSAULT:
The number of women who have been the victim of a 
sexual assault could fill Fenway Park more than 3 times over.
The New Hampshire Violence Against Women Survey found that 22.7% of women have been the victim of a sexual
assault with 19.5% having been the victim of sexual assault with penetration.  These figures represent 112,909 New
Hampshire women who have ever experienced sexual assault, or the number of women it would take to fill Fenway
Park more than three times.  These rates of sexual assault are significantly higher than those found in the National
Violence Against Women Survey in which 17.6% of women reported having been sexually assaulted and 14.8%
reported being a victim of sexual assault including penetration.  However, it is important to note that this survey
measured lifetime prevalence of assaults and did not determine where the assaults occurred.  While New
Hampshire has a higher percentage of women currently living in the state who have been a victim of sexual assault
than the national survey found, it can not be concluded that the assaults occurred in New Hampshire.
INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE:
The number of female victims in NH is greater than the population of 
Manchester and Concord combined by almost 14,000.
Intimate partner violence has been experienced by at least 33.4% of New Hampshire women, a figure that is
consistent with the findings of the National Violence Against Women Survey.  Survey respondents were asked to
identify the most recent physical assault they had experienced and were asked who the perpetrator was.  Because
prior assaults could have occurred, the number of women who have been assaulted by an intimate partner could
be greater.  For the purposes of the survey, an intimate partner was any of the following: current spouse, ex-
spouse, live-in partner or someone the victim was dating.  Based on the survey, it is estimated that 166,131
women in New Hampshire have experienced physical assault by an intimate partner.  
DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE IS A
HEALTH  PROBLEM IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Consistent with other research, women reporting
multiple types of abuse also reported poorer physical
health.  Women who report having a chronic disease or
medical condition were more likely to report sexual
and physical violence than women who do not report
having a chronic disease or medical condition.
VIOLENCE IMPACTS WOMEN OF ALL AGE GROUPS, BUT YOUNG WOMEN 
AND CHILDREN ARE AT GREATEST RISK FOR SEXUAL VIOLENCE.
Sexual violence is a crime in which youth are
particularly at risk.  Forty one percent of the most
recent sexual assaults reported in the New Hampshire
survey occurred before the victim’s 18th birthday, and
83% occurred before the age of 25.  
In almost every age group at least 50%
of women report having been a 
victim of sexual or physical assault.  
2
The relationship between health condition and 
physical and sexual assault 
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
sexually assaulted physically assaulted
Women reporting chronic disease or health condition
Women not reporting chronic disease or health condition
Age of women when they were forced to have
sex by use of force or threat of harm
16%
25%
42%
12%
5%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
12 and under 13-17 18-24 25-39 40 and over
Age of Woman
P
er
ce
n
t
Percentage of women reporting sexual or 
physical assault by age group
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
18-24 25-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80 and
over
Age of survey respondent
THE PERPETRATOR IS ALMOST ALWAYS SOMEONE THE VICTIM KNOWS.
Consistent with previous research, the data show clearly that for the majority of victims of either sexual or physical
violence, the perpetrator of the most recent assault they experienced was someone whom they knew. In New
Hampshire, as elsewhere in the U.S., a woman is most likely to be harmed by someone in her own circle of
friends and family.
(Note:  Figures in the charts below do not add to 100% because some survey respondents reported more than one assault. It should be
noted there were multiple types of assault that could be reported.)
IN THE CASE OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE IN
PARTICULAR, THE PERPETRATOR IS MOST
LIKELY TO BE A SPOUSE, EX-SPOUSE OR
COHABITING PARTNER.  
Of the women who report an incidence of violence,
over 40% of the women ages 18-49 report that they
were sexually assaulted by a current or former intimate
partner.  At least 50% of the women in all but one age
group report that they were physically assaulted by a
current or former intimate partner. 
THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF  PERPETRATORS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ARE MEN.
Based on the sample of incidents reported by the women in this study, all victims of sexual assault reported having
at least one perpetrator who was male. Only one participant indicated that she had been the victim of a female
perpetrator. The pattern holds for physical violence as well, with 87.6% of victims reporting a male perpetrator,
while only 29.8% reported that at least one perpetrator was female.
3
Relationship to perpetrator for
sexual assault victims 
strangersomeone 
else the 
victim knew
relativedating
partner
spouse
12.3%
45.6%
21.1%
27.2%
13.2%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Relationship to perpetrator for 
physical violence victims
strangersomeone 
else the 
victim knew
relativedating
partner
spouse
12.8%
18.6%
32.2%
19%
48.8%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Percentage of women who report an incident 
of violence identifying a current or former 
intimate partner as the perpetrator
sexual assault physical assault
18-24 25-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80 and
over
Age of Survey Respondent
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Participants reported a variety of experiences 
with violence, with 17% of women in the 
study reporting having experienced both
sexual and physical violence. 
4
Incidence of abuse
none
Physical abuse 
Sexual abuse
Both physical and 
sexual abuse
No abuse
reported
42.3%
Both physical
and sexual 
abuse
17%Sexual
abuse  5.1%
Physical abuse only
35.6%
Conclusion:
The number of women in New Hampshire who have
experienced sexual assault and/or physical violence is
alarming, and underscores the need to support efforts
to prevent these crimes from occurring, to provide
information and support to victims, to hold perpetrators
accountable for their abuse, and to raise awareness in
our communities of the prevalence and consequences
of sexual assault and intimate partner violence.  
Recommendations:
Continue and Expand Funding for Victim
Services in NH:  New Hampshire has a
comprehensive network of 14 programs that provide
direct services to victims of sexual and domestic
violence, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all of
which are members of the New Hampshire Coalition
Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.  Contact
information for these crisis centers is provided at the
end of this report.   While there is sufficient financial
support to ensure that basic services are available
throughout the state, all of the NHCADSV member
programs face significant challenges in meeting the
complex needs of victims.  Continued financial
support from state and federal funding programs is
critical to ensuring that basic services are
maintained; increased support could help direct
service programs to expand their services and better
meet the needs of victims.
Promote Routine Screening for Sexual Assault
and Intimate Partner Violence in Medical
Settings: Often, addressing past victimization can
help improve the negative health consequences that
stem from the abuse.  Consistent with national
surveys, the NH Violence Against Women Survey
found a clear link between victimization and
negative health consequences.  This finding
underscores the importance of health care providers
routinely screening patients regarding their histories
of past abuse, in order to provide appropriate
referrals to victim services.  
Continue to Support Outreach and Awareness
Activities: In order to access the supportive services
available through the 14 member programs of the
NHCADSV, victims need to know about the services.
The NH Violence Against Women Survey found that
72% of survey respondents knew how to contact
their local crisis center for help regarding sexual
assault or intimate partner violence.  While this is an
encouraging result, it also shows that 28% of people
did not know about local services.  It remains critical
that outreach and awareness programs be continued
so that victims know where to turn for help.
Hold Perpetrators Accountable: Research
consistently shows that criminal justice system
sanctions, reinforced by accountability across all
community systems, helps to reduce recidivism of
sexual and intimate partner violence offenders.  All
perpetrators of sexual or physical violence should be
held accountable for their crimes.  Encouraging
community attitudes that focus on the actions of
perpetrators, rather than the actions of victims,
would help to ensure that victims do not feel blamed
for what happens to them and would make it easier
for victims to come forward to seek assistance and
report the crimes against them.  All members of a
community, not just the police and courts, need to
play a part in reinforcing the message that sexual
assault and intimate partner violence are always the
responsibility of the perpetrator, and the victim’s
actions, no matter how seemingly “risky” or
“provoking” should not be used to blame her.  
Fund Primary Prevention Programs: The
prevention recommendations from the New
Hampshire Violence Against Women State Plan
should be implemented (http://doj.nh.gov/victim/
docs/vio_against_w.pdf.) While the value of
prevention is widely acknowledged, it is rarely
supported financially, and prevention education on
sexual assault and intimate partner violence is no
exception.  Primary prevention, especially with
youth, is a priority for the NHCADSV and its member
programs.  The development of evidence-based
prevention programs and bystander education
programs that encourage all members of a
community to contribute to preventing incidents of
sexual assault and intimate partner violence, have
provided additional models for the prevention efforts
taking place in New Hampshire.  However, the
limited financial resources to implement such
programs restrict the amount of prevention work that
is being done.  The NH Violence Against Women
Survey results confirming previous research findings
that sexual violence is largely a crime perpetrated
against youth, underscores the need for more
support for prevention efforts targeting those in the
highest risk age groups.  
Replicate Survey with Male Respondents:
Understanding the extent of male victimization is an
important step in ensuring that adequate support
and outreach is provided to male victims.  The New
Hampshire Violence Against Women Survey
provides important documentation of the prevalence
of violence against women in New Hampshire, but it
is also important to understand the extent of sexual
assault and intimate partner violence among New
Hampshire men.  Knowing from the National
Violence Against Women Survey that women are
much more commonly victims of sexual assault and
intimate partner violence than men, only New
Hampshire women were surveyed for this report,
due to financial limitations.  
Research Design
The NH Violence Against Women Survey was a
survey of randomly selected adult females in the
state of New Hampshire, using Random Digit
Dialing, conducted by the University of New
Hampshire Survey Center.  The random sample used
in the NH Violence Against Women Survey was
purchased from Scientific Telephones Samples.
Interviews were conducted with 508 randomly
selected non-institutionalized adult females in the
state.  The interviews were conducted by
professional interviewers between October 26 and
November 20, 2006.  The study was funded by a
grant from the University of New Hampshire
Outreach Scholars Program.  Further information
regarding the research design can be obtained by
contacting NHCADSV.  
5
NHCADSV Crisis Centers 
and Contact Information:
Response to Sexual and Domestic Violence
(Berlin, Colebrook, Lancaster)
*office number (603)752-5679 
Women’s Supportive Services (Claremont, Newport)
*office number (603)543-0155 
Rape and Domestic Violence Crisis Center (Concord)
*office number (603) 225-7376 
Starting Point (Conway, Ossipee)
*office number (603) 356-7993
Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention Program 
(SHARPP) UNH (Durham)
*office number (603) 862-3494
Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention 
(Keene, Jaffrey, Peterborough)
*office number (603) 352-3782
New Beginnings: A Women’s Crisis Center (Laconia)
*office number (603) 528-6511
WISE (Women’s Information Service) (Lebanon)
*office number (603) 448-5922
The Support Center at Burch House (Littleton, Woodsville)
*office number (603) 444-0624
YWCA Crisis Service (Manchester, Derry)
*office number (603) 625-5785
Bridges: Domestic and Sexual Violence Support 
(Nashua, Milford)
*office number (603) 889-0858
Voices Against Violence (Plymouth)
*office number (603) 536-5999
A Safe Place (Portsmouth, Rochester, Salem)
*office number (603) 436-4619
Sexual Assault Support Services (Portsmouth, Rochester)
*office number (603) 436-4107
Statewide Hotlines:
Sexual Assault: 1-800-277-5570
Domestic Violence: 1-866-644-3574
NH Violence Against
Women Survey Committee:
For further information about the NH
Violence Against Women Survey or this
report contact NHCADSV at 224-8893.
Grace Mattern 
Executive Director
New Hampshire Coalition Against
Domestic and Sexual Violence
Victoria Banyard, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Psychology, Justice
Studies Program, and Prevention
Innovations
University of New Hampshire
Lisa Bujno, MSN, ARNP
Chief, Bureau of Community Health
Services
Division of Public Health Services
NH Department of Health and Human
Services
David Laflamme, PhD, MPH
Research Assistant Professor
Department of Health Management &
Policy, University of New Hampshire 
Maternal & Child Health Epidemiologist,
NH Department of Health and Human
Services
Mary M. Moynihan, PhD
Women’s Studies Program, Justice
Studies Program, and Prevention
Innovations
University of New Hampshire
Sharyn Potter, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor
Department of Sociology and Prevention
Innovations
University of New Hampshire
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https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1060&context=pirc

Violence Against Women in New Hampshire

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