Domestic violence involving an intimate partner and/or a family member is really high in some New York cities and counties. 

The United States Congress recently renewed the Violence Against Women Act, which protects domestic and sexual violence victims. The law had lapsed due to bi-partisanship.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is from New York said that the law is.

“one of the most important laws passed by Congress in the last 30 years.”

Here in the state, 11 counties have the most domestic violence reported incidents as of 2020.  Some of the areas with the highest number of total incidents are the most populated, but others, like Erie County, beat counties with more residents.  Home to Buffalo, the second-largest city in New York State, Erie County outranked both New York County (Manhattan) and Richmond County (Staten Island), which are both in the New York City metro area.

The National Abuse Hotline provides warning signs of abuse, which include your partner doing the following,

-Telling you that you never do anything right.

-Showing extreme jealousy of your friends or time spent away from them.

-Preventing or discouraging you from spending time with friends, family members, or peers.

-Insulting, demeaning, or shaming you, especially in front of other people.

You can see the 11 counties with the most domestic violence incidents reported and their biggest cities below.  Represented below are all reported incidents - both male and female victims who were intimate partners, as well as other family members, as defined by NYS,

Intimate Partner (Female/Male) – Includes spouse, ex-spouse, and those in an intimate relationship (including dating or formerly dating relationships, whether or not the intimate partners had ever lived together).

Other Family – Includes sibling, child, grandparent, grandchild, in-law, stepparent, stepsibling, and other blood and in-law relationships.

11. Orange County (Newburgh) - 1,711 Total Incidents

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10. Westchester County (Yonkers) - 1,724 Total Incidents

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9. Nassau County (Hempstead, Long Island) - 3,145 Total Incidents

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8. New York County (Manhattan) - 4,665 Total Incidents

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7. Suffolk County (Brookhaven, Long Island) - 4,949 Total Incidents

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6. Onondaga County (Syracuse- 4,961 Total Incidents

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5. Monroe County (Rochester) -  5,123 Total Incidents

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4. Erie County (Buffalo) - 5,153 Total Incidents

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3. Queens County (Queens)  - 7,790 Total Incidents

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2. Kings County (Brooklyn)  - 8,548 Total Incidents

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1. Bronx County (Bronx) - 8,860 Total Incidents

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Data provided by the Division of Criminal Justice Services, analyzed by Yasmin Young

If you or someone you know has been a victim of domestic violence, help is available. You can contact the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence by calling 800-942-6906 or texting 844-997-2121, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. You can also visit the department's website for more resources.

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