Domestic Violence
Intimate partner violence, also called domestic violence, is the most frequent type of violence committed against women. Intimate partner violence is when one person purposely causes either physical or psychological harm to another, including physical abuse, psychological/emotional abuse, sexual assault, isolation, or economic abuse (controlling all of the victim's money, shelter, time, food, etc.). Most often, the violent person is a husband, former husband, boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend, but sometimes the abuser is female.Research & Statistics
- Compendium of Research on Violence Against Women, 1993-2020
This regularly updated compendium lists and briefly describes all of the projects funded under the National Institute of Justice's Violence Against Women and Family Violence Program.
- NCADV - StatisticsIncludes national and state-by-state statistics on: domestic violence, rape, homicide, children and domestic violence, economic impact, and physical/mental impact.
- PubMed
PubMed comprises more than 20 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.
- The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence SurveyFind data on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Sexual Violence (SV).
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Intimate partner violence, also called domestic violence, is the most frequent type of violence committed against women. Intimate partner violence is when one person purposely causes either physical or psychological harm to another, including physical abuse, psychological/emotional abuse, sexual assault, isolation, or economic abuse (controlling all of the victim's money, shelter, time, food, etc.). Most often, the violent person is a husband, former husband, boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend, but sometimes the abuser is female.
This very common problem should be taken very seriously. One in four women report that they have been victims of intimate partner violence or stalking by someone they know. These crimes occur in both heterosexual and same-sex relationships. The consequences of intimate partner violence can be devastating to women. Physical and emotional trauma can lead to increased stress, depression, lowered self-esteem, and post-traumatic stress disorder (an emotional state of discomfort and stress associated with the memories of a disturbing event).
Violence against women by any one is always wrong, whether the abuser is a current or past spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend; someone you date; a family member; an acquaintance; or a stranger. You are not at fault. You did not cause the abuse to occur, and you are not responsible for the violent behavior of someone else. If you or someone you know has been a victim of intimate partner violence, seek help from other family members and friends or community organizations. Make sure you and your children are SAFE. Reach out for support or counseling. Talk with a health care provider, especially if you have been physically hurt. Learn more about how to get help for intimate partner or domestic violence. Another important part of getting help is knowing if you are in an abusive relationship. There are clear signs to help you know if you are being abused.
If you're a victim of violence at the hands of someone you know or love or you are recovering from an assault by a stranger, you are not alone. To get immediate help and support call:
The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)
Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence: 1-888-774-2900
Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Inc.(CONNSACS): 1-888-999-5545 or 1-888-568-8332 (En Espanol)
Source: The National Women's