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Domestic violence is a serious public health epidemic that is occurring at alarming rates in the United States. Below, we have included statistics on domestic violence in general and domestic violence against women with disabilities. However, the research on violence against women with disabilities and on Deaf women is limited.

In General

  • Estimates range from 960,000 incidents of violence against a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend per year 1 to three million women who are physically abused by their husband or boyfriend per year. 2
  • Intimate partner violence is primarily a crime against women. In 2001, women accounted for 85% of the victims of intimate partner violence and men accounted for approximately 15% of the victims. 3
  • On average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in this country every day. In 2000, 1,247 women were killed by an intimate partner. The same year, 440 men were killed by an intimate partner. 4
  • In the United States, women of all races are about equally vulnerable to violence by an intimate partner. 5

For Women with Disabilities

  • One study found that women with and without physical disabilities were equally likely (62%) to experience physical or emotional abuse from intimate partners. However, for women with disabilities, the abuse tended to last longer. 6
  • Of psychiatric inpatients, 80% have experienced physical or sexual abuse in their lifetime. 7

Note: Some of the resources listed in this section are available as PDF files. In order to view PDFs you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. If you do not have this software installed, you can download Acrobat Reader This link will open a new browser window. for free on Adobe's web site.

1U.S. Department of Justice. Violence by Intimates: Analysis of Data on Crimes by Current or Former Spouses, Boyfriends, and Girlfriends.Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, 1998. 21 Aug. 2006.


2Collins, Karen Scott, Cathy Schoen, Susan Joseph, Lisa Duchon, Elisabeth Simantov, and Michele Yellowitz.Health Concerns Across a Woman’s Lifespan: The Commonwealth Fund 1998 Survey of Women’s Health.The Commonwealth Fund, 1999. 21 Aug. 2006. [Note: this link will download a PDF file]


3Bureau of Justice Statistics.Intimate Partner Violence, 1993-2001.Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, 2003. 21 Aug. 2006.


4Ibid.


5Bureau of Justice Statistics.Violence Against Women: Estimates from the Redesigned National Crime Victimization Survey.Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, 1995. 21 Aug. 2006.


6Young, et al., 1997.


7Jacobson, Andrea and Bonnie Richardson. “Assault Experiences of 100 Psychiatric Inpatients: Evidence for the Need for Routine Inquiry.” American Journal of Psychiatry 144, 7 (1987): 908.