Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center

Information > Statistics  > Dating/Domestic Violence

The following statistics were taken from the 2006 National Violence Against Women Survey from the Department of Justice:

• 22.1% of surveyed women, compared with 7.4% of surveyed men, reported they were physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabiting partner, boyfriend, girlfriend, or date in their lifetime.
• Intimate partner homicides make up 40-50% of all murders of women in the United States.
• When looking at intimate partner homicide, a woman's attempt to leave was the precipitating factor in 45% of the murders of a woman by a man.
• Mental and emotional distress faced by women experiencing serious abuse is overwhelming. Almost half the women reporting serious domestic violence also meet the criteria for major depression; one-fourth for PTSD, and 28% had symptom scores as high as a norming group of persons entering outpatient treatment.

Continue to educate yourself on the dynamics of dating violence so that you can be prepared to help a friend. Even when young people do not seek professional help, many choose to talk to friends about relationship violence.  Whether or not you have experienced relationship violence, chances are at least one of your friends will.