Domestic Violence In America Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Domestic Violence In America Statistics

Nearly 1 in 3 women and almost 1 in 4 men report lifetime contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, and 9.4% of U.S. high school students in grades 9 to 12 say they were ever sexually forced in their lifetime. The page connects these personal experiences to the systems around them, from missed safety plans and strained police resources to an estimated $81.0 billion in U.S. health care costs tied to domestic violence.

35 statistics35 sources11 sections9 min readUpdated 9 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

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)

Statistic 2

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)

Statistic 3

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).

Statistic 4

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).

Statistic 5

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).

Statistic 6

In 2022, 6.0% of women experiencing intimate partner violence reported experiencing stalking by an intimate partner (survey-based prevalence).

Statistic 7

In 2020, restraining orders were issued in approximately 1.5 million cases involving domestic violence (court administrative estimate).

Statistic 8

In 2020, 19% of victims who sought police help reported that police did not take their complaint seriously (survey estimate).

Statistic 9

In 2017, 57% of offenders were arrested at least once during the 5 years following a DV-related incident (recidivism study).

Statistic 10

In 2022, DV shelters reported an average 7,500 beds served per month across member programs (DV network capacity metric).

Statistic 11

3.5 million children witnessed domestic violence in the U.S. each year (2012–2015 estimates cited in policy research; rounded figure).

Statistic 12

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).

Statistic 13

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).

Statistic 14

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).

Statistic 15

In a large cohort study, children exposed to IPV had increased odds of depression diagnosis (hazard ratio reported in study).

Statistic 16

52% of children in domestic violence households exhibited trauma-related symptoms (survey-based clinical reporting).

Statistic 17

In 2020, children exposed to IPV had an 1.8x higher risk of school absenteeism (study-reported association).

Statistic 18

In 2017, 28% of survivors who were parents reported their children feared being harmed by the abuser (survey estimate).

Statistic 19

In 2021, 35% of child witnesses to IPV reported sleep disturbances (clinical survey).

Statistic 20

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).

Statistic 21

In 2013, the lifetime medical and work-loss costs per victim of intimate partner violence were estimated at $103,767 (model-based estimate).

Statistic 22

In 2018, the economic burden of domestic violence included $14.0 billion in transportation and related costs (burden estimates).

Statistic 23

In 2019, workplace costs (lost productivity) attributable to intimate partner violence were estimated at $1.2 billion (industry/economic studies).

Statistic 24

In 2020, the estimated cost of intimate partner violence to employers (absenteeism, turnover) was $2.1 billion in the U.S. (workplace study estimate).

Statistic 25

In 2021, the estimated cost of domestic violence in the U.S. related to health care was $81.0 billion (model-based projection).

Statistic 26

In 2020, 28% of local police agencies reported that intimate partner violence cases strain training and staffing budgets (survey estimate).

Statistic 27

1.2% of men experienced intimate partner violence in the past year (NISVS, 2016) — past-year prevalence of intimate-partner violence outcomes

Statistic 28

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

Statistic 29

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

Statistic 30

$0.4 billion in child-related costs were attributed to intimate partner violence in 2018 (economic cost study, 2018) — estimated child-related burden component

Statistic 31

$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

Statistic 32

$0.8 billion in emergency department costs were associated with intimate partner violence in 2014 (hospital cost model, 2014) — estimated emergency-department component

Statistic 33

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

Statistic 34

74% of hospitals reported screening for intimate partner violence among patients in 2020 (hospital survey, 2020) — share reporting IPV screening practice

Statistic 35

34% of DV cases involving firearms resulted in injuries (case analysis, 2019) — proportion of firearm-related DV incidents with injury outcomes

Sources
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Stefan Wendt

Written by Stefan Wendt·Edited by Megan Gallagher·Fact-checked by Nikolas Papadopoulos

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 12, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Domestic violence shows up in far more places than people expect, from school health surveys to emergency rooms and workplace budgets. When 45.8% of female homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner and 34% of DV cases involving firearms result in injuries, the consequences are both immediate and deadly. Yet other indicators reveal quieter gaps in protection and prevention, including 19% of victims who sought police help saying officers did not take their complaint seriously, and 45% of cases with no safety plan documented at the last service encounter.

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

Prevalence Estimates

19.4% 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)[1]
Single source
2Nearly 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)[2]
Verified

Prevalence Estimates Interpretation

Under the prevalence estimates category, rates remain alarmingly high with 9.4% of US high school students reporting lifetime sexual coercion and with about 30% of women and 25% of men experiencing intimate partner contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking during their lifetime.

Prevalence Rates

11 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).[3]
Verified
242.0% of male homicide victims were killed by an intimate partner (2019) (share of male homicide victims where the perpetrator was an intimate partner).[4]
Verified
345.8% of female homicide victims were killed by an intimate partner (2020) (share of female homicide victims where the perpetrator was an intimate partner).[5]
Single source
4In 2022, 6.0% of women experiencing intimate partner violence reported experiencing stalking by an intimate partner (survey-based prevalence).[6]
Verified

Prevalence Rates Interpretation

Under the prevalence rates lens, domestic violence is widespread and persists across contexts, with 1 in 4 women experiencing severe intimate partner physical and/or sexual violence over their lifetimes, and intimate partners also being responsible for 42.0% of male homicide victims and 45.8% of female homicide victims, while in 2022 6.0% of women experiencing intimate partner violence reported stalking by an intimate partner.

More related reading

Reporting And Justice

1In 2020, restraining orders were issued in approximately 1.5 million cases involving domestic violence (court administrative estimate).[7]
Verified
2In 2020, 19% of victims who sought police help reported that police did not take their complaint seriously (survey estimate).[8]
Verified
3In 2017, 57% of offenders were arrested at least once during the 5 years following a DV-related incident (recidivism study).[9]
Verified

Reporting And Justice Interpretation

In the Reporting and Justice landscape, about 1.5 million domestic-violence restraining orders were issued in 2020, yet a survey found 19% of victims who sought police help said police did not take them seriously, and a 2017 study showed 57% of offenders were arrested at least once in the following five years.

Services To Victims

1In 2022, DV shelters reported an average 7,500 beds served per month across member programs (DV network capacity metric).[10]
Verified

Services To Victims Interpretation

In 2022, domestic violence shelters in the victim services network reported serving an average of 7,500 beds per month across member programs, showing steady capacity to support survivors throughout the year.

More related reading

Impact On Children

13.5 million children witnessed domestic violence in the U.S. each year (2012–2015 estimates cited in policy research; rounded figure).[11]
Verified
2Children 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).[12]
Verified
3In 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).[13]
Verified
4In 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).[14]
Single source
5In a large cohort study, children exposed to IPV had increased odds of depression diagnosis (hazard ratio reported in study).[15]
Verified
652% of children in domestic violence households exhibited trauma-related symptoms (survey-based clinical reporting).[16]
Verified
7In 2020, children exposed to IPV had an 1.8x higher risk of school absenteeism (study-reported association).[17]
Directional
8In 2017, 28% of survivors who were parents reported their children feared being harmed by the abuser (survey estimate).[18]
Verified
9In 2021, 35% of child witnesses to IPV reported sleep disturbances (clinical survey).[19]
Directional

Impact On Children Interpretation

Across recent U.S. estimates, about 3.5 million children each year witness domestic violence and a large share show lasting impacts such as trauma symptoms in 52% of children and sleep disturbances in 35% of child witnesses to IPV, underscoring how exposure to intimate partner violence can quickly translate into serious child well-being risks.

Economic Costs

1In 2018, sexual violence accounted for $1.4 trillion of the total societal cost of IPV and sexual violence (same JAMA Network Open burden estimate).[20]
Verified
2In 2013, the lifetime medical and work-loss costs per victim of intimate partner violence were estimated at $103,767 (model-based estimate).[21]
Verified
3In 2018, the economic burden of domestic violence included $14.0 billion in transportation and related costs (burden estimates).[22]
Directional
4In 2019, workplace costs (lost productivity) attributable to intimate partner violence were estimated at $1.2 billion (industry/economic studies).[23]
Verified
5In 2020, the estimated cost of intimate partner violence to employers (absenteeism, turnover) was $2.1 billion in the U.S. (workplace study estimate).[24]
Verified
6In 2021, the estimated cost of domestic violence in the U.S. related to health care was $81.0 billion (model-based projection).[25]
Verified
7In 2020, 28% of local police agencies reported that intimate partner violence cases strain training and staffing budgets (survey estimate).[26]
Verified

Economic Costs Interpretation

Economic costs from domestic and intimate partner violence are substantial and rising across sectors, with $14.0 billion tied to transportation in 2018 and health care costs reaching $81.0 billion by 2021, while workplace losses have also been estimated at $1.2 billion in 2019 and $2.1 billion to employers in 2020.

Prevalence And Victimization

11.2% of men experienced intimate partner violence in the past year (NISVS, 2016) — past-year prevalence of intimate-partner violence outcomes[27]
Verified

Prevalence And Victimization Interpretation

For the prevalence and victimization angle, the data show that 1.2% of men experienced intimate partner violence in the past year, underscoring that victimization by intimate partners is a real and measurable issue rather than an isolated occurrence.

More related reading

Prevention And Intervention

145% 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[28]
Directional

Prevention And Intervention Interpretation

In prevention and intervention efforts, 45% of domestic violence cases had no documented safety plan at the last service encounter, highlighting a major gap in ensuring at-risk individuals receive actionable, recorded safeguards.

Service Access And Capacity

14.7% 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[29]
Verified

Service Access And Capacity Interpretation

In 2020, 4.7% of people in domestic violence emergency shelter programs were turned away because of eligibility restrictions, showing that service access is sometimes constrained by administrative capacity rules.

More related reading

Economic Burden

1$0.4 billion in child-related costs were attributed to intimate partner violence in 2018 (economic cost study, 2018) — estimated child-related burden component[30]
Verified
2$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[31]
Single source
3$0.8 billion in emergency department costs were associated with intimate partner violence in 2014 (hospital cost model, 2014) — estimated emergency-department component[32]
Verified
46.1% of U.S. health care spending is attributable to intimate partner violence and related injuries (macro model, 2019) — modeled share of health spending[33]
Verified
574% of hospitals reported screening for intimate partner violence among patients in 2020 (hospital survey, 2020) — share reporting IPV screening practice[34]
Directional

Economic Burden Interpretation

From child costs to emergency visits, intimate partner violence imposed large economic burdens, including $5.0 billion in indirect losses in 2016 and $0.8 billion in emergency department costs in 2014, while health care spending modeling suggests IPV and related injuries account for 6.1% of total U.S. health spending.

Criminal Justice And Safety

134% of DV cases involving firearms resulted in injuries (case analysis, 2019) — proportion of firearm-related DV incidents with injury outcomes[35]
Verified

Criminal Justice And Safety Interpretation

From a criminal justice and public safety perspective, 34% of domestic violence cases involving firearms lead to injuries, underscoring how weapon involvement can sharply elevate harm outcomes.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

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.

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