October marked National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, to be followed by the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25. Yet, as these observances pass, the crisis of domestic violence in South Carolina continues—claiming lives, devastating families, and revealing systemic failures that policymakers have long ignored.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four in ten women and one in four men nationwide have experienced physical or sexual violence or stalking by an intimate partner. The National Domestic Violence Hotline emphasizes that domestic violence extends far beyond physical abuse—it includes financial control, coercion, isolation, and emotional manipulation. Tragically, women experiencing domestic violence are five times more likely to be killed when their abuser has access to a firearm.
Here in South Carolina, the problem is especially dire. The state ranked sixth in the nation for domestic violence in 2025, according to World Population Review. Guns were used in 68% of all domestic violence homicides, with 55 victims lost in 2023 alone. The average victim was just 38 years old, and 80% of victims were women. Of these homicides, 76.4% were caused by gunshot wounds, while 17% involved knives and 4% involved strangulation.
The human cost is compounded by delays in justice. In Horry County, 72% of victims requesting protection orders waited more than 15 days for a hearing, leaving survivors in danger and abusers unrestrained. Across the state, there are over 32,000 intimate partner violence cases reported each year, and the estimated annual economic toll from domestic violence exceeds $358 million—a staggering sum reflecting the costs of law enforcement, healthcare, legal aid, and lost productivity.
Despite the scale of the crisis, South Carolina’s state-level response remains stagnant. The South Carolina Governor’s Domestic Violence Task Force, created in 2015, has shown no visible activity or public updates in nearly a decade. Meanwhile, local organizations like the Family Justice Center of Horry and Georgetown Counties continue to carry the burden, providing crisis response, legal advocacy, counseling, and shelter for survivors—with limited resources and uncertain funding.
At the national level, the problem has been worsened by recent federal policy shifts. Early in 2025, the Trump administration froze federal funding for programs under the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)—a move that temporarily removed open grant opportunities relied upon by shelters and advocacy groups. The administration also attempted to restrict funding for organizations supporting LGBTQ+ survivors or using “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) approaches. These restrictions are now facing multiple lawsuits, with federal courts issuing temporary blocks against their implementation.
Advocates say these policies could devastate already strained services. Many South Carolina programs—particularly those in rural areas—depend on federal grants to maintain emergency shelters, hotline services, and legal aid. The National Women’s Law Center has warned that the new funding conditions could force organizations to “abandon outreach programs, reduce capacity, and risk closure.”
Adding insult to injury, Trump publicly downplayed the seriousness of domestic violence, referring in a September 2025 speech to such incidents as “a little fight with the wife.” Survivors and advocacy groups condemned the remark as trivializing an epidemic that kills hundreds of women nationwide each year. This rhetoric mirrors past neglect: the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) lapsed for over three years during Trump’s first term, largely due to partisan opposition to firearm restrictions for convicted abusers. The law was finally reauthorized under the Biden administration in 2022.
Area Democrats believe that combating domestic violence requires both policy reform and cultural change, calling for immediate state and federal action to:
- Fully fund and expand domestic violence prevention, shelter, and survivor support programs.
- Reinstate and modernize the South Carolina Domestic Violence Task Force.
- Strengthen firearm restrictions for individuals convicted of abuse or under restraining orders.
- Ensure timely access to protective orders and legal recourse for victims.
- Defend nonprofits’ independence to provide trauma-informed, inclusive care.
Domestic violence is not a partisan issue—it is a matter of safety, justice, and dignity. South Carolina families deserve a system that protects survivors, holds abusers accountable, and refuses to accept the preventable loss of life as the status quo.
Domestic violence affects entire families, including their pets.
Violence toward animals and violence toward humans is most often connected. Many survivors delay leaving abusive situations due to fear for their pets, and abusers often use animals as a tool for control. Studies show a strong correlation, with many survivors reporting that their abuser has harmed or threatened their pets. Abusers may use pets to threaten, manipulate, or control their partners. Fear for their pets is a major reason survivors stay in abusive situations. Many domestic violence shelters are not pet-friendly, leaving survivors feeling they have to choose between their safety and their animal’s safety.
Groups like the American Bar Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association are collaborating on programs to help survivors and their pets. The National Domestic Violence Hotline and organizations like Safe Havens for Pets provide confidential support and resources. Projects like the Purple Leash Project are working to make more domestic violence shelters pet-friendly.
In February 2025, the ABA House of Delegates adopted Resolution 504, which recognizes the critical need to help survivors of domestic violence keep their companion animals safe. The Resolution was the result of a collaboration between the ABA Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence (CDSV), the ABA Family Law Section and the ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS).
If you or someone you know is in danger, contact the Family Justice Center Hotline at 844-208-0161 or visit beyonddv.org.
Further Information:
South Carolina Governor’s Office – Domestic Violence Task Force (2015)
Office of the Attorney General – 2024 South Carolina Domestic Violence Fatality Report
South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault
South Carolina Department of Social Services – Domestic Violence Program
Family Justice Center – Domestic Violence Services – Horry and Georgetown
Child Welfare Information Gateway – Definitions of Domestic Violence – South Carolina (January 2021)
National Women’s Law Center (NWLC)
AP News: Federal judge rules Trump administration cannot put conditions on domestic violence grants
American Veterinary Medical Association – When domestic violence arrives at the clinic door
