Pánfila Domestic Violence HOPE Foundation, founded by Dr. María E. Garay-Serratos, is an organization focused both on advancing the science and educating the public about the consequences of domestic violence-related  traumatic brain injury (DV-related TBI).

DV-Related TBI

Domestic Violence-Related Traumatic Brain Injury, also known as DV-TBI is a silent, unreported epidemic of brain injuries caused by someone experiencing blows to the head in domestic violence incidents. Based on initial studies, it is estimated that domestic violence has caused 20 million women in the US – and uncounted numbers of men and children — to suffer DV-TBI.

Evidence for the DV-TBI Epidemic

Most cases of domestic violence involve a head injury. A study of women in three domestic violence shelters found that 92 percent had been hit in the head by their partners, most more than once; 83 percent had been both hit in the head and severely shaken, and 8 percent of them had been hit in the head over 20 times in the past year. Additionally, 67 percent of women surveyed who sought emergency services for injuries and health issues directly related to domestic violence had symptoms of TBI within nine months.