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MARQUETTE COUNTY -- Domestic violence may be more common than many of us think. 

Marquette County's Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Matt Wiese, said Thursday that they see roughly one domestic violence incident reported each day in Marquette County, year round.

The numbers are staggering.  

"Typically we see about 400 cases where the police are dispatched to what's coded or called a domestic which is for domestic violence,” said Wiese.  “And then of those cases, the ones where we feel there's evidence of physical violence, we probably process about 200 to 250 of those a year in Marquette County."

Wiese says somewhere in the county, domestic violence is most likely happening every day.  He estimates that in 85 percent of those cases, the man is the one causing the abuse while 15 percent of the time it is the woman.  He also says men and women engage in domestic violence for different reasons.  For male abusers, it is likely the male is looking for power or control over the relationship.  For women, that is not typically the case.

“A woman may use violence to strike out of anger, but not to control her male partner," Wiese said.  "A women may use violence because she's jealous about something her partner has done, but it's not to control her partner."

So what are the warning signs someone may be capable of domestic violence before the abuse occurs?  I asked Mental Health Clinician at the Marquette County Jail, Art Lauren.

"The possessiveness and the jealousy, that's generally indicative of someone who has potential for domestic violence," said Lauren.

Lauren also says if you or someone you know may be experiencing domestic violence, seek help.

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