Recognizing Abuse

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, an average of 24 people experience intimate partner physical violence every minute in the United States. This means more than 12 million physical abuse victims every year. Even though domestic violence is prevalent across all communities, recognizing abuse—even by victims—is often difficult.

Abuse Doesn't Discriminate

Domestic violence affects people of any race, age, gender, sexuality, religion, education level, or economic status. This applies to both victims and perpetrators. Everyone within a community is impacted by domestic abuse. Those directly affected often struggle to recognize or accept that they are being abused due to the controlling and dominating behavior of the abuser.

The Many Forms of Domestic Abuse

Domestic violence includes any behavior that intimidates, physically harms, manipulates, or controls a partner, child, or family member, forcing them to act against their will. It manifests in several forms, often occurring simultaneously in abusive relationships:

Physical Abuse: Using physical force in a way that injures or endangers someone.
Emotional and Psychological Abuse: Verbal and non-verbal actions that diminish a victim's confidence and self-esteem, keeping the abuser in control.
Financial Abuse: Controlling or limiting access to financial resources, undermining a person's independence.
Stalking and Threats: Intimidation tactics used to instill fear and maintain power over the victim.

Understanding these patterns is the first step toward breaking free and seeking help. The following domestic violence statistics help inform our work.

Domestic Violence Statistics (Men & Women)

Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/abstract.aspx?ID=261262
http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/abstract.aspx?ID=261262

Stalking Statistics

Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Recognizing Abuse

Abuse Doesn't Discriminate

The Many Forms of Domestic Abuse

Domestic Violence Statistics (Men & Women)

Stalking Statistics

Child Statistics

Teen and Young Adult Statistics

Help Is Here.

Click Here to Donate

Everyone Deserves a Life Free from Abuse. Please Consider Donating to Our Cause!

Recognizing Abuse

Abuse Doesn't Discriminate

The Many Forms of Domestic Abuse

Domestic Violence Statistics (Men & Women)

An average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States — more than 12 million women and men over the course of a single year.

Nearly 3 in 10 women (29%) and 1 in 10 men (10%) in the US have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by a partner and reported it having a related impact on their functioning.

Just under 15% of women (14.8%) and 4% of men in the US have been injured as a result of intimate partner violence that included rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.

1 in 4 women (24.3%) and 1 in 7 men (13.8%) aged 18 and older in the US have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

Intimate partner violence alone affects more than 12 million people every year.

Over 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the US have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

Almost half of all women and men in the US have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime (48.4% and 48.8%, respectively).

Women ages 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 generally experience the highest rates of intimate partner violence.

From 1994 to 2010, approximately 4 in 5 victims of intimate partner violence were female.

Most female victims of intimate partner violence were previously victimized by the same offender at rates of 77% for women ages 18 to 24, 76% for ages 25 to 34, and 81% for ages 35 to 49.

Stalking Statistics

1 in 6 women (16.2%) and 1 in 19 men (5.2%) in the US have been a victim of stalking at some point during their lifetime in which they felt fearful or believed that they (or someone close to them) would be harmed or killed.

Two-thirds (66.2%) of female stalking victims were stalked by current or former intimate partners.

Men who were stalked were primarily stalked by partners (41.4%) or acquaintances (40%).

The most common stalking tactic experienced by both female (78.8%) and male (75.9%) victims of stalking was repeated unwanted phone calls, voice, or text messages.

Estimates suggest 10.7% of women and 2.1% of men have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime.

Child Statistics

Children witnessed violence in nearly 1 in 4 (22%) intimate partner violence cases filed in state courts.

30% to 60% of intimate partner violence perpetrators also abuse children in the household.

40% of child abuse victims also report experiencing domestic violence.

One study found that children exposed to violence in the home were 15 times more likely to be physically and/or sexually assaulted than the national average.

According to the US Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, domestic violence may be the single major precursor to fatalities from child abuse and neglect in the US.

Teen and Young Adult Statistics

9.4% of high school students reported being hit, slapped, or physically hurt intentionally by their partner in the previous 12 months.

Approximately 1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men who experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner first experienced some form of partner violence between 11 and 17 years of age.

More than a quarter (28%) of male victims of completed rape were first raped when they were 10 years old or younger.

Approximately 35% of women who were raped as minors were also raped as adults, compared to 14% of women without an early rape history.

1 in 10 high school students has experienced physical violence from a dating partner in the past year.

Most female (69%) and male (53%) victims of rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner had their first experience with intimate partner violence before the age of 25.

43% of dating college women report experiencing violent and abusive dating behaviors including physical, sexual, digital, verbal, or other controlling abuse.

Nearly 1 in 3 college women (29%) say they’ve been in an abusive dating relationship .

52% of college women report knowing a friend who’s experienced violent and abusive dating behaviors including physical, sexual, digital, verbal, or other controlling abuse.

57% of college students who report experiencing dating violence and abuse said it occurred in college.

58% of college students say they don’t know what to do to help someone who is a victim of dating abuse.

38% of college students say they don’t know how to get help for themselves if they experience dating abuse as a victim.

Over half of all college students (57%) say it’s difficult to identify dating abuse.

36% of dating college students have given a dating partner their computer, email, or social media passwords; these students are more likely to experience digital dating abuse.

1 in 5 college women has been verbally abused by a dating partner.

Victims of digital abuse and harassment are twice as likely to be physically abused, twice as likely to be psychologically abused, and 5 times as likely to be sexually coerced.

Almost 1 in 10 teens in relationships reports having a partner tamper with their social media account, which constitutes the most frequent form of harassment or abuse.

Just 1 in 5 victims say they experienced digital abuse or harassment at school during school hours; most takes places away from school grounds.

Help Is Here.

Click Here to Donate

Everyone Deserves a Life Free from Abuse. Please Consider Donating to Our Cause!