Why invest state and local resources in domestic violence programs for the TANF-eligible population?
First, domestic violence is a significant problem for many TANF recipients. Women from all socioeconomic levels are victims of domestic violence, but poor women are more likely than women in general to experience domestic violence and the odds are even higher for women who receive welfare. Among welfare recipients, it is estimated that 50 percent to 60 percent have experienced domestic violence over their lifetimes, and 20 percent to 30 percent of welfare recipients report being recent or current victims of abuse (Tolman and Raphael, 2000). These rates of domestic violence are three times higher than those reported for all low-income women (Johnson and Meckstroth, 1998). Second, victims of domestic violence are more likely to be long-term welfare recipients (i.e., receiving welfare for more than five years) and are more likely to cycle on and off welfare (Lyon, 2000). The ways in which domestic violence acts as a barrier to womens employment are numerous and well documented. Victims of
