Domestic Violence Statistics

Domestic violence spans gender, age, sexual orientation, and religion, and it affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels. Abuse can escalate and take on many forms, including severe violence and death. As survivors attempt to move on after being abused, they can face immense effects about views of their personal safety.

Domestic violence is widespread and severe for both women and men in the U.S. This includes being hit with a fist or something hard, kicked, hurt by hair pulling, slammed against something, choked, suffocated, beaten, burned, and/or a knife or gun was involved.

• In the U.S., over 1 in 3 women experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. 1

• In the U.S., about 1 in 3 men experienced sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime. 1

• 10% of women and 2.2% of men report having been stalked by an intimate partner. 1

• Data from US crime reports suggest that 16% (about 1 in 6) homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner. Nearly half of female homicide victims in the US are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. 2

 Source:
1. Smith, S.G., Zhang, X., Basile, K.C., Merrick, M.T., Wang, J., Kresnow, M., Chen, J. (2018). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2015 Data Brief – Updated Release. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2. Cooper, A., & Smith, E. L. (2011). Homicide trends in the United States, 1980–2008. Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Justice Statistics. NCJ 236018. 6. Petrosky, E., Blair, J. M., Betz, C. J., Fowler, K. A., Jack, S., & Lyons, B. H. (2017). Racial and Ethnic Differences in Homicides of Adult Women and the Role of Intimate Partner Violence - United States, 2003-2014. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly rep