Report highlights. In the United States, nearly every 1 in 2 women and more than 2 in 5 men reported experiencing intimate partner violence at some point in their lifetime.
Every minute 32 people experience intimate partner violence in the United States.
1 in 4 men in the United States has endured severe physical violence from an intimate partner.
Over 47% of women have encountered contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime.
How Many Women Experience Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence continues to profoundly affect the lives of countless women across the United States, remaining a persistent and critical issue.
According to a series of reports from the 2016/2017 data years of the National Intimate Partner Violence Survey (NISVS):
Nearly every 1 in 2 women in the United States will face physical violence from an intimate partner at some point in their lives.
Almost 1 in 5 women in the United States reported any contact sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Slightly more than 2 in 5 women in the United States reported experiencing any physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Almost 40 million women reported being slapped, pushed, or shoved.
Almost half of all women reported any psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
How Common Is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is alarmingly common in the United States, affecting millions of individuals each year. NISVS reports:
More than 16 million people in the U.S. suffer from intimate partner abuse per year.
Every minute 32 people experience intimate partner violence in the United States.
Nearly every 1 in 2 women and more than 2 in 5 men reported experiencing intimate partner violence at some point in their lifetime.
What Percentage of Domestic Violence Victims Are Female?
Data leaves no doubt: Domestic violence predominantly impacts women. According to a report published by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in 2009:
85% of domestic violence victims are women.
How Many Women Die From Domestic Violence?
Around 75% of fatal victims of domestic violence are women.
In 2007, 24% of female homicide victims were killed by a spouse or ex-spouse.
By 2019, nearly 4 women were murdered daily by intimate partners.
Domestic Violence Rates Over Time
Domestic violence statistics over the years paint a grim picture, revealing the persistent and escalating nature of the issue:
In 2000, a U.S. Department of Justice report indicated that 1.3% of women and 0.9% of men experienced domestic violence in the past year.
By 2019, nearly 4 women were murdered daily by intimate partners, reflecting an increase since 2014 after decades of decline.
Each year, about 2.3 million people are raped or physically assaulted by a current or former partner.
Victimization rates vary by race, with White and Black women more frequently victims of beatings than Asian or Hispanic women.
Domestic Violence Statistics From the CDC
Nearly every 1 in 2 women in the United States will face physical violence from an intimate partner at some point in their lives.
Almost 1 in 5 women in the United States reported any contact sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Slightly more than 2 in 5 women in the United States reported experiencing any physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Almost 40 million women reported being slapped, pushed, or shoved.
Almost half of all women reported any psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
More than 16 million people in the U.S. suffer from intimate partner abuse per year.
Every minute, 32 people experience intimate partner violence in the United States (based on annualized report results).
1 in 4 men in the United States has endured severe physical violence from an intimate partner.
Over 47% of women have encountered contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime.
Sources
1. Leemis, R. W., Friar, N., Khatiwada, S., Chen, M. S., Kresnow, M., Smith, S. G., Caslin, S., & Basile, K. C. (2022). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey: 2016/2017 report on intimate partner violence. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
2. Leemis, R. W., Friar, N., Khatiwada, S., Chen, M. S., Kresnow, M., Smith, S. G., Caslin, S., & Basile, K. C. (2022). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey: 2016/2017 report on intimate partner violence. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
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https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
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https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
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https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
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https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
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https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
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https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
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https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
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https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
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https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
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https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
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https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
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https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/fvv.pdf
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https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pd
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https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pd
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https://doi.org/10.1089/vio.2019.0005
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https://books.google.com/books/download/Full_Report_of_the_Prevalence_Incidence.pdf?id=1ErTLeIq8ccC&output=pdf
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https://books.google.com/books/download/Full_Report_of_the_Prevalence_Incidence.pdf?id=1ErTLeIq8ccC&output=pdf
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https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/house-bill/3402
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https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
23. Leemis, R. W., Friar, N., Khatiwada, S., Chen, M. S., Kresnow, M., Smith, S. G., Caslin, S., & Basile, K. C. (2022). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey: 2016/2017 report on intimate partner violence. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
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https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
25. Leemis, R. W., Friar, N., Khatiwada, S., Chen, M. S., Kresnow, M., Smith, S. G., Caslin, S., & Basile, K. C. (2022). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey: 2016/2017 report on intimate partner violence. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
26. Leemis, R. W., Friar, N., Khatiwada, S., Chen, M. S., Kresnow, M., Smith, S. G., Caslin, S., & Basile, K. C. (2022). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey: 2016/2017 report on intimate partner violence. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
27. Leemis, R. W., Friar, N., Khatiwada, S., Chen, M. S., Kresnow, M., Smith, S. G., Caslin, S., & Basile, K. C. (2022). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey: 2016/2017 report on intimate partner violence. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
28. Leemis, R. W., Friar, N., Khatiwada, S., Chen, M. S., Kresnow, M., Smith, S. G., Caslin, S., & Basile, K. C. (2022). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey: 2016/2017 report on intimate partner violence. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
29. Leemis, R. W., Friar, N., Khatiwada, S., Chen, M. S., Kresnow, M., Smith, S. G., Caslin, S., & Basile, K. C. (2022). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey: 2016/2017 report on intimate partner violence. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
30. Leemis, R. W., Friar, N., Khatiwada, S., Chen, M. S., Kresnow, M., Smith, S. G., Caslin, S., & Basile, K. C. (2022). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey: 2016/2017 report on intimate partner violence. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf
Recently also peace research has focused on the consequences of domestic violence for a whole country: Austrian sociologist Franz Jedlicka has included it in his “Culture of Violence Scale 2023”. An interesting approach!