Facts about Violence Against Women and Self Defense

Violence against women is common.

• About 100 women an hour are the victims of violent crimes ‚ murder, rape, or sexual or other assaults ‚ committed by their intimate partners.1
• On average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends every day in the US.1
• Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between ages 15 and 44 in the US, more common than accidents, muggings, and rapes combined.2
• 22-35% of women who visit medical emergency rooms are there for injuries related to ongoing partner abuse.3
• 25-31% of American women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives. 4,5
• About one fifth of American women report experiencing a completed or attempted rape at some time in their lives.4,6

A woman is likely to be attacked by someone that they know, and those attacks are often more dangerous.

• Rape victims' friends or acquaintances commit more than half of the rapes and sexual assaults, intimates committed 26%, and strangers about one in five.1
• In 29% of violent crimes against women by lone offenders the perpetrators were intimates ‚ husbands, former husbands, boyfriends, or former boyfriends.1
• About 28% of female homicide victims were known to have been killed by an intimate, compared to about 3% of male homicide victims.1
• Women are injured by intimates in 52% of attacks, compared to 20% of attacks by strangers.7

Verbal and physical self defense is effective.

• 81% of women who were attacked and tried running from their attackers were able to escape.8
• 62% who screamed or yelled escaped.8
• 68% who used physical force of any kind escaped.8