We all know the stereotype from movies and the media; a large man beats up his much smaller girlfriend, partner, or wife. But domestic violence is not a crime perpetrated solely by men, as a recent case from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, demonstrates.

Woman Sentenced to Seven to 14 Years

Alison Morris, a mother of three and a self-described “cutter,” told police she was in the bathroom with a kitchen knife to cut herself after a fight with Ryan Young. When he came in after her, she said she remembered thrusting the knife she was holding up at him, plunging the knife into his thigh. She hit a femoral artery, and Young bled to death. While Morris called 911 and cooperated with emergency dispatchers' directions, the police initially charged her with criminal homicide.

The follow-up investigation revealed that the police had been called for several incidents involving Morris and Young. On three calls, the police identified Young as the aggressor, and he pled guilty to simple assault in 2018. However, the investigation also revealed that Morris texted friends that she wished she could kill him and sometimes threatened to kill herself or her children.

Domestic Violence Perpetrated by Women

The death of Ryan Young isn't an anomaly. More than 19% of men report an assault by a partner at least once in their lifetime. While the reported rate for women is 23%, men still face a significant rate of assault in intimate partner relationships. Some studies even suggest that women are more likely to perpetrate intimate partner violence, with a rate of 28.3% for women and 21.6% for men.

Women also perpetrate other forms of abuse, including emotional abuse, stalking, and harassment:

• 4.1% to 8% of women and 0.5% to 2% of men report at least one stalking incident in their lifetime
• 40 to 41% of women and 32 to 43% of men report experiencing emotional abuse at some point

Moreover, much abuse between intimate partners (57.9%) is bidirectional, meaning both partners perpetrated the abuse at some point. At the same time, women are much more likely to call the police or report the abuse when it happens.

However, the Moore case is unusual in one respect. Women are much more likely to be killed because of intimate partner violence. Among homicide victims, 32.7% of female victims were killed by their partners, while only 3.1% of male homicide victims were killed by their partners. However, more than 75% of homicide victims are men.

Hire an Experienced Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Attorney

If you're facing domestic violence charges, it can be a serious matter with serious consequences that can follow you for years. You need a skilled criminal defense attorney to protect your rights in the criminal justice system. Attorney Joseph D. Lento and the skilled team at the Lento Law Firm have been helping Pennsylvanians through domestic violence and restraining order allegations. Find out how they can help you too. Call the Lento Law Firm at 888.535.3686 to schedule a consultation or contact them online today.