Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Overview

IPV is a form of abuse or aggression that occurs within a romantic relationship involving current or former spouses or dating partners.^{1 , 2} It can take many forms, including physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, emotional abuse, and economic abuse.^{1 - 3} These behaviors are used to exert power and control over a partner and may occur as single incidents or as part of ongoing, chronic abuse.^{1 , 4}

IPV is a significant public health issue that affects millions of people in the United States each year, including adolescents, who may experience teen dating violence.^{2 , 5} IPV can have serious and long lasting impacts on physical and mental health, including traumatic brain injury and other physical injuries, anxiety, depression, alcohol misuse, post traumatic stress disorder, and even death.^{2 , 6 - 8} In fact, homicide (by an intimate partner or other perpetrator) is a leading cause of death in the United States for women during pregnancy and the postpartum period.⁹ Additional adverse health consequences of IPV can involve the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, digestive, reproductive, and nervous systems, reflecting the widespread physiological impact that can occur.^{2 , 6}

The causes and risk factors of IPV are multifaceted, involving individual, relationship, community, and societal influences. Discord within a relationship, a past history of exposure to violence, communication difficulties, alcohol misuse, and controlling behaviors––particularly by male partners––are all factors that are associated with IPV.⁷ Although people across all backgrounds can experience IPV, certain individuals and communities face heightened vulnerability due to the social and structural conditions that shape their environments. People who witness or endure violence in the home during childhood face a higher risk of experiencing IPV in adulthood.^{4 , 7} Similarly, adolescents who identify as LGBTQ+ are disproportionately affected, with estimates suggesting that up to 43% of these individuals experience IPV compared with up to 10% of their heterosexual peers.⁶

Women bear a disproportionate burden of the impact of IPV, experiencing both higher prevalence and more severe health consequences. Data show that 34% of U.S. women report experiencing IPV in the form of physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking in their lifetime, compared with 17% of men.¹⁰ Women between the ages of 18 and 34 experience the highest incidence of IPV.¹¹ Moreover, those who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, Non-Hispanic Black, or multiracial are disproportionately affected.¹² These statistics highlight a pervasive gender imbalance driven by social norms, unequal power dynamics, and systemic barriers that limit women’s ability to seek safety or resources.

The diagnosis and treatment of IPV require attention to physical, psychological, and situational indicators. Warning signs include unexplained injuries, social withdrawal, displaying discomfort or fear in a partner's presence, and having a partner who exhibits controlling behaviors.¹ Treatment and support may include medical care; mental health services; safety planning; legal protections, such as filing a restraining order; and referrals to helplines or community resources, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline.^{1 , 3 , 13 , 14} These services can support individuals as they transition out of abusive relationships, ensuring that they receive the care, guidance, and counseling they need.

Current research and federal initiatives focus on prevention strategies, such as teaching safe and healthy relationships and engaging influential adults and peers, and support services, such as housing programs and initiatives to strengthen household financial security.¹⁵ These efforts aim to address individual behaviors and societal and environmental factors that can influence the risk and outcomes of IPV. Research is also underway to explore the use of digital tools, including smartphones and wearable devices, to predict and change harmful behaviors;¹⁶ advance our understanding of the neurodegenerative consequences of IPV that involves repeated head trauma or hypoxic ischemia from nonfatal strangulation;⁸ and improve surveillance efforts for IPV and maternal morbidity and mortality.¹⁷ Globally, there is a need to improve the availability of data to monitor policy implementation and evaluate the effectiveness of services for people who have experienced IPV.¹⁸ This includes examining differences in IPV policy implementation at the subnational level and identifying the most effective components of models for coordinating multisectoral responses.

The 2023 Violence Against Women Request for Information Report summarized public input on priority scientific directions in research on IPV and other forms of violence against women.¹⁹ Prepared by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) and the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), the report identified nine overarching themes for advancing research in this area based on responses from researchers, healthcare providers, advocates, and people with lived experience. These themes included advancing social determinants of health research to understand and mitigate risk, strengthening measures and methodologies in violence against women research, addressing the health sequelae of violence, fostering family-based research to address the intergenerational transfer of violence, and expanding the focus on disproportionately impacted populations. This work helps shape the research priorities that are aimed at uncovering the root causes of women’s vulnerability to violence and identifying effective approaches for addressing its health impacts and sequelae.

The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) also supports a number of violence research initiatives, including those focused on IPV. These efforts seek to develop public health interventions that can prevent different forms of violence and the associated trauma, injury, and loss of life.