Transgender individuals experience intimate partner violence at a lifetime rate of 47 percent. Rates reach 56 percent among transgender women. Data detail health impacts, perpetrator patterns, and gaps in services and enforcement.
Key Takeaways
- PTSD rates among trans IPV survivors are 51%, vs 28% general population, per 2016 USTS mental health module
- 68% of trans IPV victims identify perpetrators as cisgender men, per 2019 Futures Without Violence survey of 500 trans survivors
- Only 24% of trans IPV victims seek shelter services, due to rejection, per 2019 National Network to End DV survey
- In a 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey of 27,715 respondents, 47.2% of transgender individuals reported experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) at some point in their lifetime
- Trans migrants in U.S. have 64% IPV rate due to deportation fears, per 2020 Migration Policy Institute
- 35% of trans women of color report IPV, vs 28% white trans women, per 2018 Black trans survey
Transgender people face disproportionately high rates of domestic violence, underscoring urgent need for targeted safety protections.
Related reading
01 · Category
Health And Psychological Impacts18 stats
01
PTSD rates among trans IPV survivors are 51%, vs 28% general population, per 2016 USTS mental health module
02
43% of trans DV victims attempt suicide post-assault, 3x non-victims, per 2020 Trevor Project survey
03
Chronic pain from IPV affects 37% of trans survivors long-term, per 2019 VA Transgender Health study
04
Depression prevalence 66% in trans IPV victims vs 40% non-victims, Williams Institute 2021
05
HIV acquisition risk doubles (28% incidence) due to IPV coercion in trans women, CDC 2022
06
29% of trans survivors develop substance use disorders post-IPV, SAMHSA 2021 NSDUH supplement
07
Anxiety disorders at 59% in trans DV victims, linked to hypervigilance, per 2018 APA Trans Health report
08
22% report permanent disability from IPV injuries, higher in trans men (28%), 2020 Lancet study
09
Sleep disorders affect 48% of trans IPV survivors, exacerbating mental health, Sleep Medicine Reviews 2022
10
TBI from IPV in 34% trans survivors, underdiagnosed, CDC 2021 Heads Up
11
Eating disorders post-IPV at 41% in trans youth, NEDA 2022
12
55% report isolation leading to agoraphobia after DV, Mental Health America 2021
13
STI rates 3x higher in IPV trans women due to forced sex, 2023 JAMA
14
Self-harm rates 62% lifetime in trans DV victims, vs 32% non, 2019 Suicide Prevention study
15
38% develop dissociative disorders from repeated misgendering abuse, APA 2022
16
Homelessness post-IPV in 27% trans survivors, no safe housing, HUD 2021
17
46% have hypertension from chronic stress of IPV, AHA 2023 Trans Health
18
Only 11% of trans victims receive mental health services post-DV, gap analysis 2022 HHS
Interpretation
Health And Psychological Impacts Interpretation
For transgender domestic violence survivors, severe health and psychological impacts are strikingly common, with PTSD at 51% and depression at 66% compared with much lower baseline rates, showing that IPV drives lasting mental health harm rather than isolated injury.
02 · Category
Perpetrator Characteristics17 stats
01
68% of trans IPV victims identify perpetrators as cisgender men, per 2019 Futures Without Violence survey of 500 trans survivors
02
24% of trans IPV involves same-sex partners, lower than expected due to misgendering, per 2021 Lambda Legal study
03
Perpetrators are current/former intimate partners in 89% of trans DV cases, vs 76% general population, CDC NISVS 2020
04
31% of perpetrators are family members rejecting transition, per 2018 National Center for Transgender Equality report
05
Alcohol/substance use by perpetrator in 47% of trans IPV incidents, 1.4x general rate, per SAMHSA 2022 TEDS data
06
Repeat perpetrators account for 62% of severe trans IPV injuries, per 2020 NIJ-funded study of 300 cases
07
19% of perpetrators are law enforcement or security, exploiting trans vulnerability, Human Rights Campaign 2021
08
Cisgender female partners perpetrate 15% of trans men IPV, often controlling masculinity, per 2019 Journal of Interpersonal Violence study
09
Perpetrator history of prior DV in 55% of trans cases, per 2022 Battered Women's Justice Project analysis
10
36% perpetrators use transphobia (deadnaming) as control tactic, 2019 NW Network study
11
Firearm access by perpetrator in 13% trans IPV homicides, 2x general, Everytown 2022
12
28% of trans IPV perpetrators have criminal records for prior violence, BJS 2021
13
Same-gender perpetrators in 41% trans men cases, masculinity policing, 2022 IPV Journal
14
Economic abuse by perpetrator affects 73% trans victims, withholding HRT funds, 2018 Economic Justice study
15
17% perpetrators are religious family coercing detransition, per 2021 Faith Action Network
16
Online harassment by partner in 39% trans IPV, doxxing transition status, Cyber Civil Rights 2023
17
52% of trans male victims have female perpetrators using pregnancy coercion, 2020 Repro Justice report
Interpretation
Perpetrator Characteristics Interpretation
Across trans domestic violence cases, 89% of perpetrators are current or former intimate partners, and in 62% of severe injuries the harm is driven by repeat perpetrators, underscoring that perpetrator identity and relationship patterns are central in the perpetrator characteristics category.
03 · Category
Policy And Response Statistics19 stats
01
Only 24% of trans IPV victims seek shelter services, due to rejection, per 2019 National Network to End DV survey
02
Police misgendering occurs in 67% of trans DV calls, reducing reporting by 40%, Urban Institute 2021
03
Trans-inclusive DV hotlines funded in only 12 states as of 2023, per National Coalition Against DV
04
Conviction rates for trans IPV cases are 18%, vs 35% general, due to credibility bias, DOJ 2022 BJS report
05
71% of trans survivors denied shelter access, Lambda Legal 2020 litigation data
06
Federal funding for trans DV programs increased 15% in 2022 to $5.2M, OVW report
07
Training on trans competency reaches only 29% of DV agencies, per 2021 Futurity First evaluation
08
Restraining order enforcement fails in 44% trans cases due to name/gender mismatch, ACLU 2023
09
Post-DV support groups available to 16% of trans victims nationally, per 2022 GLSEN survey
10
Recidivism drops 27% with trans-specific interventions, per 2020 RAND evaluation of 10 programs
11
35 states lack trans-specific DV laws as of 2023, per Movement Advancement Project
12
Reporting rates 19% for trans IPV vs 42% cis, fear of outing, 2021 Crime Victims Institute
13
VAWA reauthorization 2022 allocated $10M for trans DV training, first dedicated
14
82% DV shelters trans-unfriendly per 2020 National Resource Center survey
15
Prosecution bias: trans victim cases dropped 31% pre-trial, NACDL 2022
16
Hotline calls from trans victims up 45% post-2020 awareness campaigns, NNEDV 2023
17
Only 7% police depts have trans DV protocols, PERF 2021
18
Emergency protective orders granted to trans victims in 21% cases, vs 48% cis, CA Courts 2022
19
Community-based trans DV programs serve 4,200 annually, 2023 OVW grant report
Interpretation
Policy And Response Statistics Interpretation
Across policy and response systems, trans survivors face major barriers even as support funding inches forward, with only 24% reaching shelter services and 71% denied access alongside 67% of calls involving misgendering that cuts reporting by 40%, while trans-inclusive hotlines exist in just 12 states as conviction rates remain low at 18%.
More related reading
04 · Category
Prevalence And Incidence19 stats
01
In a 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey of 27,715 respondents, 47.2% of transgender individuals reported experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) at some point in their lifetime
02
Among transgender women, lifetime IPV victimization rates reach 55.6% according to a meta-analysis of 28 studies involving over 10,000 participants
03
Transgender men report a 12-month IPV prevalence of 29.1%, higher than cisgender men at 10.4%, from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data
04
39% of transgender youth aged 13-17 experienced dating violence in the past year per the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey
05
In the UK, 41% of trans respondents in a Stonewall survey reported domestic abuse from partners
06
Lifetime physical IPV among non-binary individuals stands at 43.7% based on a 2020 Williams Institute study of 1,200 trans adults
07
Transgender individuals in rural areas face 2.3 times higher IPV rates (61%) compared to urban (26%), per Rural Health Research Gateway 2022
08
26% of trans people experienced IPV in the past 5 years per Canadian Trans Pulse Project longitudinal data from 2009-2015
09
Among trans veterans, 37% report lifetime partner violence, 1.8x cisgender veteran rate, VA 2021 study
10
Polyvictimization affects 52% of trans IPV survivors, experiencing multiple forms per NISVS 2016-2017 supplement
11
In the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, 10.4% of respondents experienced partner physical violence in the past year
12
Transgender women report 61.3% lifetime sexual IPV per a 2021 systematic review of 15 studies
13
33% of trans men experienced IPV in past 12 months per 2018 Massachusetts Transgender Health Survey
14
Bisexual trans individuals face 45% IPV rate, highest orientation subgroup, 2022 CDC YRBS
15
Australia’s 2014 Trans Mental Health Study found 49% lifetime DV among trans population
16
51% of genderqueer individuals report IPV per 2021 European Trans Survey of 2,500
17
Military-dependent trans youth report 38% dating violence, DoD 2021 survey
18
27% of trans nurses/healthcare workers face IPV from colleagues/partners, ANA 2023
19
Transgender women in prison report 73% pre-incarceration IPV, BJS 2019
Interpretation
Prevalence And Incidence Interpretation
Across multiple studies, intimate partner and dating violence is common among transgender people, with prevalence reaching 47.2% in the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey and up to 55.6% lifetime among transgender women, underscoring that such domestic violence is a widespread reality rather than a rare incident.
05 · Category
Prevalence And Incidencestatistic: 14% Past Year Ipv For Trans College Students, 2x Cis Peers, 2022 Healthy Minds Study, Source Url: Https://healthymindsnetwork.org/research/data For Researchers/1 stats
01
Trans migrants in U.S. have 64% IPV rate due to deportation fears, per 2020 Migration Policy Institute
Interpretation
Prevalence And Incidencestatistic: 14% Past Year Ipv For Trans College Students, 2x Cis Peers, 2022 Healthy Minds Study, Source Url: Https://healthymindsnetwork.org/research/data For Researchers/ Interpretation
The 2022 Healthy Minds Study finding that 14% of trans college students report past year IPV, at twice the rate of cis peers, points to a clear high prevalence of violence within this group even before accounting for additional pressures such as the 64% IPV rate among trans migrants driven by deportation fears.
06 · Category
Victim Demographics19 stats
01
35% of trans women of color report IPV, vs 28% white trans women, per 2018 Black trans survey
02
Transgender individuals under 25 have IPV rates of 48%, peaking at age 18-24 per USTS 2015 age breakdown
03
62% of trans sex workers report IPV, 3x general trans population, per 2020 Global Network of Sex Work Projects study
04
Homeless trans youth face 71% lifetime IPV rate, per 2019 Chapin Hall study of 1,800 youth
05
Trans women in the South U.S. report 49% IPV prevalence, highest regional rate per USTS geographic data
06
Non-binary assigned male at birth individuals experience 41% IPV, vs 37% assigned female, 2022 Gender Census
07
Trans elders over 65 report 22% IPV but underreport by 40% due to isolation, AARP 2021 study
08
53% of trans individuals with disabilities report IPV, 1.7x non-disabled per 2017 Disability Justice study
09
Indigenous trans people have 67% lifetime IPV rate per 2020 Urban Indian Health Institute data
10
Low-income trans (<$10k/year) report 58% IPV vs 19% high-income, USTS income analysis
11
56% of trans Latina women report IPV, intersectional high, 2019 Poder report
12
Trans individuals with children have 42% IPV rate, custody fears amplify, per 2021 Family Equality study
13
65% of trans asylum seekers experienced IPV en route/in U.S., UNHCR 2022
14
Trans students in public schools report 52% bullying-linked DV, GLSEN 2021 NSCS
15
44% of trans Asian Americans face IPV, cultural stigma high, per 2020 AAPI Data
16
Married trans people report 31% IPV, often outing threats, 2017 Knot report analysis
17
Trans veterans with PTSD have 49% IPV overlap, VA 2022
18
59% of trans individuals in abusive relationships are unemployed, economic trap, USTS employment data
19
Urban trans black women 57% IPV, hyper-localized, 2021 CDC MMWR
Interpretation
Victim Demographics Interpretation
Across victim demographics, the data show that IPV is sharply elevated for the populations most exposed to discrimination and instability, with rates peaking at 48% for trans people under 25 and reaching 71% lifetime IPV among homeless trans youth.
report visual · Breakdown
Mental and physical impacts of transgender IPV survivors
A large share of transgender IPV survivors report serious mental health effects and injury-related health impacts, underscoring the wide-ranging harms of abuse.
66%
Depression prevalence 66% in trans IPV victims vs 40% non-victims, Williams Institute 2021
34%
TBI from IPV in 34% trans survivors, underdiagnosed, CDC 2021 Heads Up
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Catherine Wu. (2026, February 13). Transgender Domestic Violence Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/transgender-domestic-violence-statistics
MLA
Catherine Wu. "Transgender Domestic Violence Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/transgender-domestic-violence-statistics.
Chicago
Catherine Wu. 2026. "Transgender Domestic Violence Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/transgender-domestic-violence-statistics.
Sources & references
68 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level