More women than men experience intimate partner violence. In a national survey, 25% of female participants reported being raped or physically assaulted by an intimate partner at some time in their lives. In contrast, only 8% of male participants reported such an experience. Nearly two-thirds of women who reported being raped, physically assaulted, and/or stalked since age 18 were victimized by a current or former husband, cohabiting partner, boyfriend or date.

Intimate partner violence is a major cause of violence-related injuries. One in three women injured during a physical assault or rape required medical care.

Women are more likely than men to be murdered in the context of intimate partner violence. In 1998, 32% of all female homicide victims were murdered by an intimate partner. In contrast, 4% of male murder victims were killed by an intimate partner.

The full extent of nonfatal and fatal intimate partner violence in the United States is not known. While the FBI provides data about deaths perpetrated by intimate partners, not all incidents are reported to police, and those that are reported may not be identified or recorded as intimate partner violence. Similarly, victims seeking medical care for intimate partner violence-related injuries may not disclose that their partners hurt them. Even if they do, the information may not be recorded in the medical record. To better document the scope of the problem of intimate partner violence and identify trends in incidence and prevalence, we must improve the quality of data collection at national, state, and local levels. Scientists, public health professionals, advocates and others in the field must increase efforts to stop intimate partner violence from occurring.

What Is Intimate Partner Violence?

Intimate partner violence is actual or threatened physical or sexual violence or psychological and emotional abuse directed toward a spouse, ex-spouse, current or former boyfriend or girl-friend, or current or former dating partner. Intimate partners may be heterosexual or of the same sex.