Dating and being in a relationship can be difficult even at the best of times, especially when two people have been together for a long time. However, when things become violent between people dating, it can be devastating for the person being abused.
Dating violence statistics show that many people have experienced violence in their lives caused by an intimate partner. As mentioned, this can include a physical injury or emotional and mental anguish in the person who has been abused.
These statistics show that it can happen to anyone, in any kind of romantic relationship. If you are going through an abusive relationship, we want you to know that it is not your fault and you are not alone — reach out and seek help or report the abuser.
So, to help you better understand intimate partner violence, here are some statistics on the matter that will shed light on this wide-spread societal issue.
Top Ten Dating Violence Facts
- The total cost of intimate partner violence is more than $8.3 billion in a single year.
- Research has shown that half of the people who physically assault or torment their intimate partner also hurt their children.
- Two out of three people won’t receive medical help after being assaulted by an intimate partner.
- In a single year, 6.6 million people experience being stalked.
- 29% of American women and 10% of American men have gone through abuse of some kind at the hands of an intimate partner.
- Dating abuse facts show that around 12 million people fall victim to intimate partner violence annually.
- In one year, almost 1.5 million American teenagers in high school suffer from physical abuse at the hands of their boyfriend or girlfriend.
- 43% of women in college who are actively dating claimed that they had experienced abusive or violent behavior from someone they were dating.
- 13% of women in college claim that they have been raped by someone they were dating.
- Intimate partner violence in some form has affected 43.8% of lesbian and 26% of gay men.
General Dating Abuse Statistics for a Safer 2021
First thing’s first — let’s set the key numbers straight first. Here are some alarming statistics and facts you should keep in mind regarding any form of abuse in a relationship.
1. The World Health Organization found that women who had been abused in relationships had higher mental anguish rates, suicidal ideation, and suicidal attempts.
(World Health Organization)
Intimate partner violence had also been shown to result in addiction problems, disorders related to sleep and diet, self-harm, post-traumatic stress disorder, unsafe sexual practices, and more issues that affect abused women’s daily lives.
2. The total cost of this kind of relationship abuse is more than $8.3 billion in a single year, according to statistics of dating violence.
(National Coalition Against Domestic Violence)
It is estimated that victims of relationship abuse miss out on 8 million days of productive work time per year, and the income from those days is lost. The percentage of people who lose their jobs due to the consequences of relationship violence can be anywhere from 21% to 60%. This puts victims of such abuse at an economic disadvantage.
3. It has been shown that half of the people who physically assault or torment their intimate partners also hurt their children, according to dating violence statistics.
(Social Solutions)
It is a big problem everywhere, as many families are destroyed by violence. It hugely impacts the children who grow up in violent households, affecting the rest of their lives.
4. Both short-term and long-term physical and emotional issues can arise due to intimate partner violence.
(Social Solutions)
35% of males and 81% of females who have been stalked, physically harmed, or sexually assaulted by their partners report serious issues related to a post-traumatic stress disorder, mental anguish, or physical injuries. This is just one of many disturbing facts about dating abuse.
5. Two out of three people won’t receive medical help after being assaulted by an intimate partner.
(Social Solutions)
Whether it’s out of fear or shame, many people who have suffered from intimate partner violence won’t go to a medical professional to seek treatment after the abusive act.
6. Out of 571 Americans who’d been in abusive relationships, 20.7% said their partner controlled their time with friends, and 14.4% said their time with family was controlled.
(Mental Help)
Following that, dating violence statistics from the Mental Help survey showed that 16.8% had a partner who controlled where they went, 15.8% had a partner who controlled how they spent their money, 11% had a partner who controlled their appearance, and 5.2% had a partner who controlled their diet.
7. On average, a trip to the emergency room for treatment after relationship violence costs $948 for women.
(HuffPost)
And for men, that cost stands at $387 for emergency care after an incident involving an intimate partner. This illustrates the harsh reality faced by those who are a part of these dating violence facts and statistics.
8. In a single year, 6.6 million people experience being stalked.
(STAND!)
66% of people stalked by an intimate partner are women, and 41% of people stalked by the person they’re in a relationship with are men. Being stalked can include having someone monitor your online activity as well as your real-life activity. It can make the person being stalked feel controlled, scared, and helpless.
American Statistics on Dating Violence
The following statistics are specific to the United States and show how prevalent dating violence can be in this country. The more we acknowledge the harsh reality of intimate partner violence, the better we can deal with it as a society and put measures to protect those who are most vulnerable.
9. 29% of American women and 10% of American men have gone through abuse of some kind at an intimate partner’s hands.
(National Domestic Violence Hotline)
Facts about dating abuse include everything from stalking to sexual and physical assault. It is estimated that around 24 people fall victim to at least one type of abuse every minute in the United States.
10. About 12 million people fall victim to intimate partner violence annually.
(National Domestic Violence Hotline)
In the United States, 13.8% of men and 24.3% of women over the age of 18 have experienced severe physical assault by a boyfriend or girlfriend at some time in their lives.
11. Dating abuse statistics show that, in the United States, 9.4% of women have been forced to endure the harsh reality of rape.
(National Domestic Violence Hotline)
The majority of women (81%) who have experienced intimate partner violence – whether it’s stalking, sexual assault, or physical assault – suffer from mental anguish, like post-traumatic stress disorder, or physical pain due to the injuries sustained during the incident.
12. In the United States, eight states currently don’t classify violence during dating as domestic violence.
(Do Something)
Domestic abuse is one of the most common causes of divorce. However, there is less protection for individuals who are suffering in non-wedded relationships. This dating violence fact is a huge problem because those suffering from relationship abuse have fewer institutional defenses on their side.
13. 10 million men and women are physically assaulted by their boyfriend or girlfriend in one year.
(National Coalition Against Domestic Violence)
In the United States, it is estimated that around 20 people are abused by their partner every single minute. According to statistics on dating violence, approximately 1,200 people are abused by their partner every hour and 28,800 people every day.
14. In the United States, there are more than 20,000 intimate partner violence-related calls made to a dedicated hotline each day.
(National Coalition Against Domestic Violence)
Of all the crimes related to violence, relationship violence accounts for 15% of the total number. This just goes to show how prevalent this kind of abuse is in American society.
15. Of all the murder-suicides in the United States, around 72% are perpetrated by a significant other.
(National Coalition Against Domestic Violence)
In terms of gender, statistics of dating violence show that 94% of victims in most of these cases are female. Murder-suicides are a prime example of how intimate partner violence can turn to homicide.
16. Even the workplace isn’t safe from intimate partner violence.
(National Coalition Against Domestic Violence)
From 2003 to 2008, the number of women killed at their workplace by their partners was 142. Out of all the women murdered at their place of work during this time, intimate partner violence was to blame for 78% of it.
17. According to dating violence statistics, in 2011, 926 women in the United States were murdered by the person they were in a relationship with at the time.
(HuffPost)
Out of those 926 women, 264 were killed in the course of an argument with their partner. To put that into perspective, a total of 1,509 women were killed in that exact year by men they knew to some degree. That means that out of 1,509 deaths, 926 were related to intimate partner violence.
Teen Dating Abuse Facts
These statistics are limited to intimate partner violence among young people who are under the age of 18. These teenagers are still in school and are trying to cope with a wide range of emotions as they learn about the world.
Dating-related violence at this age can seriously harm young people and affect their emotional growth as they become adults.
18. In one year, almost 1.5 million American teenagers still in high school suffer from physical abuse at the hands of their partner, according to teen dating violence statistics.
(Love in Respect)
A third of all American teenagers claim that they have been abused by a person they’ve dated, whether it’s sexual, physical, verbal, or emotional abuse. In addition to this, a 10th of all high school going teens say that they’ve been physically hurt on purpose by a person they’ve dated.
19. Half of all teenagers who are raped or assaulted (either sexually or physically) will try to commit suicide.
(Do Something)
In other words, 50% of abuse victims will try to end their lives after experiencing intimate partner abuse, which is a scary teen dating violence fact. This just goes to show the extreme emotional and mental trauma that an abuse victim goes through. Depression under these circumstances can be hard to deal with and get through.
20. Out of those who experience intimate partner violence, whether in the form of stalking or sexual and physical assault, 15% of men and 26% of women became victims before they turned 18.
(CDC)
This is an important statistic as it proves that teenagers are at risk of intimate partner violence. Because of such statistics of teenage dating violence, we need measures in place at school – and at home – to ensure that these young people can get the help they need.
21. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 8.5 million girls and 1.5 million boys were raped before the age of 18.
(CDC)
But it’s not just sexual violence that affects young people. 3.5 million girls and almost a million boys under the age of 18 were the victims of stalking. These teen dating violence statistics illustrate just how much the youth are at risk and in need of protection against intimate partner violence.
22. Statistically, almost half of teen dating violence reports included incidents that occurred on school property.
(Domestic Violence Services)
43% of reported incidents happened inside the school building or somewhere else on the school property. This shows that young people need to be more protected when they are in school and when they are participating in school activities.
23. Information garnered from teenage dating violence statistics point out that out of female high schoolers who went through sexual or physical intimate partner violence, almost 50% have experienced suicidal ideation and thoughts.
(Break the Cycle)
Furthermore, more than one in four has actually attempted to end their own life. In comparison, more than 25% of male high schoolers who have experienced sexual or physical intimate dating violence have experienced suicidal ideation and thoughts of ending their lives.
College Dating Violence Statistics
These statistics are specifically about dating violence taking place at colleges and universities. The people in the statistics are young adults who are still developing and trying to understand the world around them. This means that violence in any sort of relationship can greatly affect their development.
24. 43% of women in college who are actively dating claimed that they had been through abusive and/or violent behavior from someone they were dating.
(Love in Respect)
College students struggle to handle abuse in relationships. According to dating violence statistics on college campuses, 57% of students claim that they find it hard to see the signs of dating abuse, while 58% claim not to know how to be there for a friend who is being abused in a relationship.
25. 36% of college students claim that they have given their boyfriend or girlfriend access to their online profiles, like email or social media.
(Love in Respect)
This means that their partner was able to control and monitor their online activities easily. This can also be a way for their partner to watch and affect their communication with others.
26. College dating violence statistics say that 28% of men in college and 43% of college women claim that they’ve suffered from abusive behavior from their partner.
(Break the Cycle)
That’s almost half of the population of women in college and nearly a third of men. This shows that many people have been affected by intimate partner violence before they’ve even graduated from college or university.
27. Studies show that 20% to 25% of women in college are raped or have had someone attempt to rape them during their time at college.
(Break the Cycle)
Of course, this dating violence statistic only includes the women who speak up about rape or attempted rape. The actual number may be higher than that, considering the number of women who are too scared or ashamed to report it.
28. 13% of women in college claim that they have been raped by a person they were dating.
(University of Michigan)
Of all the sexual assaults reported by college students, 12% of rape cases happened while the victim was on a date with the perpetrator. In addition to this, 35% of rape attempts and 22% of rape threats happened during a date.
LGBT Dating Violence Statistics
Dating violence is not only a heterosexual or cisgender societal issue. It happens to all kinds of different people. These statistics show the existence of intimate partner violence in the lives of the LGBT community members and how they are affected by it.
29. 40% (or two out of five) gay or bisexual men live through being stalked, physically assaulted, or sexually assaulted by the person they are in a relationship with.
(HuffPost)
For lesbians, the percentage is 50% for those who have been through domestic abuse at some point in their lives. That percentage does include relationship abuse but is not limited to that alone.
30. LGBT dating violence statistics show that intimate partner abuse in some form has affected 43.8% of lesbians and 26% of gay men.
(National Coalition Against Domestic Abuse)
The percentage of bisexual women is 61.1%, and for bisexual men, it is 37.3%. In comparison, 35% of straight women have been affected by a form of intimate partner violence, and for heterosexual men, that percentage is 29%.
31. 31.1% of transgender people have lived through intimate partner violence.
(Williams Institute)
This was the result of a study done in 2014. The percentage shown above is in contrast with cisgender people, of which 20.4% say that they’ve lived through intimate partner violence.
FAQs
Who is affected by intimate partner violence?
(CDC)
Intimate partner violence affects millions of Americans and even more people from the rest of the world. Around one in five women have gone through intimate partner violence that they would categorize as “severe,” while for men, that number is around one in seven.
When it comes to sexual assault in a relationship, around one in five women have experienced it, and one in 12 men has been through it. This just goes to show how serious the problem of intimate partner violence is in our modern society.
Who defines intimate partner violence?
(World Health Organization)
One definition of it is given by the World Health Organization, which defines intimate partner violence as the behavior in a relationship that affects the harmed person’s physical, mental, or emotional well-being.
This can include assault that is either physical or sexual, stalking, and controlling behavior. It can also include aggressive behavior, coercion, and purposeful harm. The results of intimate partner violence can be extremely damaging to the person, regardless of abuse type.
What is meant by the cycle of violence?
(Shelter for Help in Emergency)
The cycle of violence can be described as the cyclical nature of violence within a relationship. It starts with the tension-building phase where the relationship is heated, one person is in fear of their partner, and it feels like something terrible is going to happen at any moment.
Then comes the crisis phase, when the violence and abuse take place. And then comes the calm phase when things seemingly return to the normal, relaxing state, and the abuse stops. During the calm phase, the abusive partner will often make promises that the violence won’t happen again. But after a period of calm, the tension-building phase will begin again.
Conclusion
These dating violence statistics show the terrifying truth behind intimate partner violence in modern society. It can happen to anyone, regardless of their age, race, or sexual orientation. It’s a massive societal problem that is made worse by the stigma and shame surrounding it. With that in mind, it’s essential for people to feel safer so that they can come forward and report their abuser.
Sources:
- Break the Cycle
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Domestic Violence Services
- Do Something
- HuffPost
- Love in Respect
- Mental Help
- National Coalition Against Domestic Abuse
- National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
- Shelter for Help in Emergency
- Social Solutions
- STAND!
- Williams Institute
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization
