Nearly one in three women experience contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner. This article examines the prevalence, reporting gaps, and economic costs of domestic violence in America.
Key Takeaways
- 9.4% of students in grades 9–12 reported that they were ever physically forced to have sexual intercourse or perform sexual acts in their lifetime (2023)
- Nearly 1 in 3 women (about 30%) and nearly 1 in 4 men (about 25%) experience some form of contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime (2015 NCVS estimates, as summarized by NIJ/NCJ publications)
- 1 in 4 women experience severe intimate partner physical violence and/or intimate partner sexual violence in their lifetime (2010–2012) (WHO estimate, U.S. regional data not directly provided, but statistic is for women globally with lifetime prevalence).
- 42.0% of male homicide victims were killed by an intimate partner (2019) (share of male homicide victims where the perpetrator was an intimate partner).
- 45.8% of female homicide victims were killed by an intimate partner (2020) (share of female homicide victims where the perpetrator was an intimate partner).
- In 2020, restraining orders were issued in approximately 1.5 million cases involving domestic violence (court administrative estimate).
- In 2020, 19% of victims who sought police help reported that police did not take their complaint seriously (survey estimate).
- In 2017, 57% of offenders were arrested at least once during the 5 years following a DV-related incident (recidivism study).
- In 2022, DV shelters reported an average 7,500 beds served per month across member programs (DV network capacity metric).
- 3.5 million children witnessed domestic violence in the U.S. each year (2012–2015 estimates cited in policy research; rounded figure).
- Children exposed to intimate partner violence have higher risk of experiencing physical abuse; one meta-analysis reports a pooled odds ratio around 2.0 (systematic review result).
- In a systematic review, children exposed to IPV showed elevated internalizing problems with an effect size (Hedges g) in the small-to-moderate range (meta-analysis quantitative finding).
- In 2018, sexual violence accounted for $1.4 trillion of the total societal cost of IPV and sexual violence (same JAMA Network Open burden estimate).
- In 2013, the lifetime medical and work-loss costs per victim of intimate partner violence were estimated at $103,767 (model-based estimate).
- In 2018, the economic burden of domestic violence included $14.0 billion in transportation and related costs (burden estimates).
Intimate partner violence affects millions, with severe impacts on victims, children, and America’s economy.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence Estimates2 stats
01
9.4% of students in grades 9–12 reported that they were ever physically forced to have sexual intercourse or perform sexual acts in their lifetime (2023)
02
Nearly 1 in 3 women (about 30%) and nearly 1 in 4 men (about 25%) experience some form of contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime (2015 NCVS estimates, as summarized by NIJ/NCJ publications)
Interpretation
Prevalence Estimates Interpretation
For the prevalence estimates, the data show that sexual and physical violence is widespread, with about 9.4% of high school students reporting sexual coercion and roughly 30% of women and 25% of men experiencing some form of violence, underscoring how common these harms are across populations.
02 · Category
Prevalence Rates4 stats
01
1 in 4 women experience severe intimate partner physical violence and/or intimate partner sexual violence in their lifetime (2010–2012) (WHO estimate, U.S. regional data not directly provided, but statistic is for women globally with lifetime prevalence).
02
42.0% of male homicide victims were killed by an intimate partner (2019) (share of male homicide victims where the perpetrator was an intimate partner).
03
45.8% of female homicide victims were killed by an intimate partner (2020) (share of female homicide victims where the perpetrator was an intimate partner).
04
In 2022, 6.0% of women experiencing intimate partner violence reported experiencing stalking by an intimate partner (survey-based prevalence).
Interpretation
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
Under the Prevalence Rates category, the data show that intimate partner violence is widespread, with 1 in 4 women experiencing severe physical and/or sexual violence over their lifetime and about 6.0% of women reporting intimate partner stalking in 2022, while nearly half of homicide victims were killed by an intimate partner.
03 · Category
Reporting And Justice3 stats
01
In 2020, restraining orders were issued in approximately 1.5 million cases involving domestic violence (court administrative estimate).
02
In 2020, 19% of victims who sought police help reported that police did not take their complaint seriously (survey estimate).
03
In 2017, 57% of offenders were arrested at least once during the 5 years following a DV-related incident (recidivism study).
Interpretation
Reporting And Justice Interpretation
In 2020, about 1.5 million domestic violence cases resulted in restraining orders, yet a survey found 19% of victims who sought police help felt their complaint was not taken seriously, and by 2017 57% of offenders had been arrested at least once in the following five years, underscoring how reporting and justice outcomes remain uneven even when formal protections are common.
04 · Category
Services To Victims1 stats
01
In 2022, DV shelters reported an average 7,500 beds served per month across member programs (DV network capacity metric).
Interpretation
Services To Victims Interpretation
In 2022, DV shelters served an average of 7,500 beds per month across member programs, underscoring how critical and consistently utilized victim services are.
05 · Category
Impact On Children9 stats
01
3.5 million children witnessed domestic violence in the U.S. each year (2012–2015 estimates cited in policy research; rounded figure).
02
Children exposed to intimate partner violence have higher risk of experiencing physical abuse; one meta-analysis reports a pooled odds ratio around 2.0 (systematic review result).
03
In a systematic review, children exposed to IPV showed elevated internalizing problems with an effect size (Hedges g) in the small-to-moderate range (meta-analysis quantitative finding).
04
In a meta-analysis, exposure to IPV is associated with increased behavioral problems with a pooled effect size (Hedges g) around 0.30–0.40 (meta-analytic finding).
05
In a large cohort study, children exposed to IPV had increased odds of depression diagnosis (hazard ratio reported in study).
06
52% of children in domestic violence households exhibited trauma-related symptoms (survey-based clinical reporting).
07
In 2020, children exposed to IPV had an 1.8x higher risk of school absenteeism (study-reported association).
08
In 2017, 28% of survivors who were parents reported their children feared being harmed by the abuser (survey estimate).
09
In 2021, 35% of child witnesses to IPV reported sleep disturbances (clinical survey).
Interpretation
Impact On Children Interpretation
Across impact on children, about 3.5 million children each year witness domestic violence in the U.S., and among children living in these households 52% show trauma related symptoms, highlighting how widely the effects extend beyond the abused partner.
06 · Category
Economic Costs7 stats
01
In 2018, sexual violence accounted for $1.4 trillion of the total societal cost of IPV and sexual violence (same JAMA Network Open burden estimate).
02
In 2013, the lifetime medical and work-loss costs per victim of intimate partner violence were estimated at $103,767(model-based estimate).
03
In 2018, the economic burden of domestic violence included $14.0 billion in transportation and related costs (burden estimates).
04
In 2019, workplace costs (lost productivity) attributable to intimate partner violence were estimated at $1.2 billion (industry/economic studies).
05
In 2020, the estimated cost of intimate partner violence to employers (absenteeism, turnover) was $2.1 billion in the U.S. (workplace study estimate).
06
In 2021, the estimated cost of domestic violence in the U.S. related to health care was $81.0 billion (model-based projection).
07
In 2020, 28% of local police agencies reported that intimate partner violence cases strain training and staffing budgets (survey estimate).
Interpretation
Economic Costs Interpretation
Across recent estimates of economic costs, domestic and intimate partner violence imposes a massive financial burden that ranges from $1.2 billion in lost workplace productivity in 2019 and $2.1 billion to employers in 2020 to $81.0 billion in related U.S. healthcare costs in 2021, showing how the impact spreads far beyond individual victimization into major sectors of the economy.
More related reading
07 · Category
Prevalence And Victimization1 stats
01
1.2% of men experienced intimate partner violence in the past year (NISVS, 2016) — past-year prevalence of intimate-partner violence outcomes
Interpretation
Prevalence And Victimization Interpretation
Under the Prevalence And Victimization lens, 1.2% of men reported experiencing intimate partner violence in the past year, showing that even though the figure may seem small, victimization is still present at a measurable level.
08 · Category
Prevention And Intervention1 stats
01
45% of domestic violence-related cases had no safety plan documented at the last service encounter (health system audit, 2020) — share of cases missing documented safety plans
Interpretation
Prevention And Intervention Interpretation
In prevention and intervention, the fact that 45% of domestic violence-related cases had no safety plan documented at the last service encounter shows a major gap in applying lifesaving planning during care.
09 · Category
Service Access And Capacity1 stats
01
4.7% of people in emergency shelter programs for domestic violence were denied services due to eligibility restrictions (shelter administrative dataset, 2020) — share denied due to eligibility rules
Interpretation
Service Access And Capacity Interpretation
In the service access and capacity category, 4.7% of people in emergency domestic violence shelter programs were turned away due to eligibility restrictions, showing that even when shelters exist, capacity is limited by who can qualify.
10 · Category
Economic Burden5 stats
01
$0.4 billion in child-related costs were attributed to intimate partner violence in 2018 (economic cost study, 2018) — estimated child-related burden component
02
$5.0 billion in indirect costs (e.g., reduced productivity and lost labor-force participation) were attributed to IPV in 2016 (economic burden analysis, 2016) — estimated indirect economic losses
03
$0.8 billion in emergency department costs were associated with intimate partner violence in 2014 (hospital cost model, 2014) — estimated emergency-department component
04
6.1% of U.S. health care spending is attributable to intimate partner violence and related injuries (macro model, 2019) — modeled share of health spending
05
74% of hospitals reported screening for intimate partner violence among patients in 2020 (hospital survey, 2020) — share reporting IPV screening practice
Interpretation
Economic Burden Interpretation
The economic burden of domestic violence is substantial, with studies estimating billions in costs such as $5.0 billion in indirect productivity losses in 2016 and $0.8 billion in emergency department expenses in 2014, while broader models attribute 6.1% of US health care spending to intimate partner violence in 2019.
11 · Category
Criminal Justice And Safety1 stats
01
34% of DV cases involving firearms resulted in injuries (case analysis, 2019) — proportion of firearm-related DV incidents with injury outcomes
Interpretation
Criminal Justice And Safety Interpretation
Within criminal justice and safety, 34% of domestic violence cases involving firearms lead to injuries, showing that firearm-related DV incidents carry a substantially higher harm outcome in how they are handled by the justice system.
report visual · Comparison
Domestic violence: prevalence, victimization, and response barriers
Domestic violence impacts large shares of people across genders and is also reflected in how victims are treated when they seek help.
45.8% of female homicide victims were killed by an intimate partner (2020) (share of female homicide victims where the p45.8%
45% of domestic violence-related cases had no safety plan documented at the last service encounter (health system audit,
45%
Nearly 1 in 3 women (about 30%) and nearly 1 in 4 men (about 25%) experience some form of contact sexual violence, physi
30%
In 2020, 19% of victims who sought police help reported that police did not take their complaint seriously (survey estim
19%
source-verifiedbjs.ojp.gov · bjs.gov · ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · jointcommission.org2020
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Stefan Wendt. (2026, February 13). Domestic Violence In America Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-in-america-statistics
MLA
Stefan Wendt. "Domestic Violence In America Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-in-america-statistics.
Chicago
Stefan Wendt. 2026. "Domestic Violence In America Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-in-america-statistics.
Sources & references
35 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)