Facts and Statistics

Domestic violence is also known as intimate partner violence.
Domestic violence or IPV is a pattern of abusive or coercive behavior, willful intimidation characterized by the control perpetrated by an intimate partner against another person through economic, emotional, physical, psychological, sexual and / or verbal abuse.
Domestic violence, IPV, battering, or spouse abuse is violence committed by a spouse, ex-spouse, current or former boyfriend or girlfriend. It can occur between heterosexual or same-sex couples.
Domestic violence is one of the most underreported crimes.
In the United States, every 9 seconds is assaulted or beaten.
One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.
Eighty-five percent of domestic violence victims are women.
Females between 16 to 24 years of age are at greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence.
Nearly 1 in 5 teenage girls who have been in a relationship said a boyfriend threatened violence or self-harm if presented with a breakup.
Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women--more than car accidents.
Studies suggest that up to 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually.
Domestic violence victims lose nearly 8 million days of paid work per year in the United States alone--the equivalent of 32,000 full-time jobs.
The costs of intimate partner violence in the United States alone exceeds $5.8 billion per year; $4.1 billion are for direct medical and health care services, while productivity losses account for nearly $1.8 billion.
Men who as children witnessed their parent's domestic violence were twice as likely to abuse their own wives than sons of nonviolent parents.
Everyday in the US, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends.
Regardless of marital status, race, religion, income, age, gender, ethnicity, physical ability or sexual orientation domestic violence affects people in every community.