A new domestic violence research study was released by the Blue Shield California Foundation. The report titled “Californians’ Needs and Experiences with Domestic Violence, Equity, and Safety” was released on Oct. 7 to create awareness for Californians during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The president and CEO of the foundation, Debbie Chang, said that their hope is that the survey increases awareness of domestic violence and that it is a public health problem for California.
“The study makes it clear that domestic violence is a pervasive problem in California. Two-thirds, nearly, of Californians say that they are affected by domestic violence, either directly or indirectly, through a family member or friend, and nearly a third identify as survivors,” said Chang. “The survey also shows that there’s a lot of support for state investment in solutions, and more than 80 percent of survey respondents support the idea of state investment in solutions, and the solutions go beyond incarceration.”
She further added, “For example, many Californians want to invest in state programs that involve mental health professionals when responding to an incident. There are other systems in our state, like Medi-Cal and the Department of Social Services, that interact with people who are at risk of domestic violence or survivors themselves, and improving those programs to fully address domestic violence and get to its root causes is going to be key to a solution.”
42 percent of Californians have faced a negative life event within the past year that included a decline in income, a lost job, or a serious illness or injury, the survey noted. 82 percent of the participants said that they wanted the state to help low-wage Californians access basic needs such as health care, nutrition, and housing. Most of the survey participants said that racism in California is on the rise. A majority of participants’ data showed that 77 percent of immigrants, 57 percent of LGBTQ+ individuals, and 57 percent of people of color are facing more discrimination currently in California, according to key findings of the report.
Courtnee Hamity, the senior evaluation and data strategy officer of this survey, spoke about another key component the study highlights, racism, and its effects on Californians that experience domestic violence.
“In our survey, particularly Black men and Latino men noted that there are pressures to not share household responsibilities or show their feelings, and we know that these pressures in households can just lead to tensions that make the environment ripe for abuse, especially if you’re isolated and don’t feel that you can ask for help.”
The three leading factors that the survey suggests lead to domestic violence for Californians are gender inequity, racism, and homelessness, which often intertwines with domestic violence, according to Chang.
“These problems are interrelated: homelessness and domestic violence. You actually can’t solve one without the other. We know that domestic violence is a driver, especially for women, of homelessness, so we’ve got to address both to solve these problems.”
One of the anonymous participants in the survey who is also a member of an all-women survivors’ group said, “For me, feeling safe is definitely financial security… If you have a job, you’re able to get housing… financial stability gets the ball rolling.”
The full study can be found on the foundation’s website at www.blueshieldcafoundation.org/resources/collections/perryundem-californians-views-domestic-violence-survey-findings-2025.
