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Domestic Violence Data in the United States

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National Statistics for Domestic Violence

Nearly one third of women in the U.S. (31 percent) report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives.

(1998 Commonwealth Fund Survey)

Intimate Partner Violence

• In 2001, the victims of intimate partner violence were:
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  • Women: 85 percent (588,490 victims)
  • Men: 15 percent (103,220 victims)
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• 1.5 million women each year are physically assaulted by an intimate partner.  That is one every 15 seconds.
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• On average, three women every day are victims of homicide by intimate partners.
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• In 2000, 33.5 percent of homicides of women and fewer than 4 percent of homicides of men were by intimate partners.
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• Intimate partner homicides are the highest rate for cause of death in pregnant or recently pregnant women.

(Department of Justice (DOJ) and Journal of the American Medical Association)

Effects on Children

• Between 3.3 – 10 million children are exposed to domestic violence annually.  (Carlson, 1984; Roberts 1992)

• In a national survey of more than 6,000 families, 50 percent of the men who frequently assaulted their wives also frequently abused their children. (Strauss, Gelles, Smith 1990)

• Men who as children were exposed to their parents’ domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own wives as sons of nonviolent parents. (Strauss, Gelles, Smith 1990)

• A study of 2,245 children and teenagers found that recent exposure to violence in the home was a significant factor in predicting a child’s violent behavior. (Singer, Miller, Guo, Friesm 1998)

• Children who are exposed to domestic violence are more likely to exhibit behavioral and physical health problems:

  • depression, anxiety, and violence toward peers
  • attempted suicide
  • drug and alcohol abuse
  • run away from home, engage in teenage prostitution, and commit sexual assault crimes. (Jaffe, Sudermann 1995)