Who is Affected by Intimate Partner Violence?

Recognizing Intimate Partner Violence

Whether you are taking this course as part of a professional development plan or because you are seeking to be more informed about intimate partner violence, this course has been organized to help you understand the prevalence of intimate partner violence, its components, and how you can be a helpful ally to survivors.

In this first module, you explore the faces of intimate partner violence, types and categories of abuse, and the foundations of power and control on which it is based.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

How Common is Intimate Partner Violence?

Intimate partner violence is far more common than many people realize. Understanding the scope of this issue is essential for recognizing its impact across communities.

According to the CDC's National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey:

- About 1 in 4 women and nearly 1 in 10 men have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime and reported some form of IPV-related impact

- Data from U.S. crime reports suggest that 16% (about 1 in 6) of homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner

- About 11 million women and 5 million men who reported experiencing contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime said that they first experienced these forms of violence before the age of 18

These statistics reveal that IPV is a widespread public health issue affecting millions of individuals. The data also shows that IPV often begins early in life, highlighting the importance of prevention and early intervention.

Myths About Survivors

Sometimes people have a very specific image in their mind of what a survivor of intimate partner violence looks like. There are harmful stereotypes that survivors are:

Why These Stereotypes Are Harmful:

Making these generalizations reinforces the idea that only certain types of people are affected by intimate partner violence. It is important to emphasize, however, that intimate partner violence occurs in every demographic regardless of age, race, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic class.

Assuming that intimate partner violence only happens in certain communities can make it easy to overlook signs and symptoms that someone we know is experiencing abuse in their relationship.

The Reality:

As professionals like Dr. Patel conducting health screenings or Aisha monitoring workplace dynamics, recognizing that IPV crosses all boundaries is essential for trauma-informed practice.