Total [national] costs of domestic violence were estimated at $67 billion in 1993, accounting for almost 15% of total crime costs. These very high estimates include out-of-pocket expenses such as medical bills and property losses ($1.8 billion), productivity losses at work, home and school ($7 billion), and non-monetary losses such as pain, suffering and lost quality of life ($58 billion).

Victim Costs and Consequences: A New Look,
National Institute of Justice Research Report,
U.S. Department of Justice, January 1996, p. 19.

Perhaps more compelling than the economic costs are data about the human costs. But how do you quantify pain, suffering, and decreased quality of life associated with intimate partner violence, both on survivors and on children exposed to such violence? Data are needed to assess the long-term, psychosocial effects of intimate partner violence (IPV) and to demonstrate more clearly the social burden of this problem. Researchers should explore methods for collecting data about indirect or intangible costs of IPV, such as using in-depth interviews with survivors and service providers.

Costs of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States,
Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2003, p. 47.

Employers lose between $3 and $5 billion every year in absenteeism, lower productivity, higher turnover and health and safety costs associated with battered workers. Businesses lose an additional $100 million in lost wages, sick leave and absenteeism. Over 1,750,000 workdays are lost each year due to domestic violence.

The Corporate Cost of Domestic Violence,
American Institute on Domestic Violence,
www.aidv-usa.com