A survey completed by students of Northern Marianas College has shown alcohol and drugs are believed to be the top causes of domestic violence in the CNMI and a majority of these cases are not reported to police.
The survey was taken from the opinions and views of over 200 respondents.
A significant number also identified financial issues as the third primary cause of domestic violence, while 18 cited gambling as among the factors.
There were 180 respondents who admitted knowing someone who has suffered from domestic violence while only 64 say they hear about it.
Separate research conducted by the students showed that 85 percent of domestic violence victims in the CNMI are women between 20-24 years of age, who are most often victimized by someone they know.
Most of these cases, the researchers said, are never reported to the police.
Researchers found that only 18 domestic violence cases were reported from January 2009 to now.
