Prevalence of domestic violence in the United States

This comprehensive review of the literature reports on the annual and life-time prevalence of domestic violence against women in the United States. Data on population-based samples, pregnant women, and women treated in emergency rooms are each presented separately, as are the effects of age, marital status, socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, and alcohol and drug use. Prevalence reports vary across studies, due in part to definitional issues and differences in the populations studied, but this is primarily true for lifetime and not for current prevalence. Prevalence is 0.3% to 4% for severe violence and 8% to 17% for total violence in the past year. Lifetime occurrence is 9% for severe violence and 8% to 22% for total violence. When minor as well as severe acts of physical violence toward women in the general female population are included, prevalence appears to be between 10% and 15% and somewhat higher for some subgroups.