Fact and Stats: Domestic Violence and IPV

Domestic ViolenceAbuseFamily Violence
Written By Dr. Inverpal Braich

The 16 Days of Action Against Domestic Violence (sometimes known as the 16 Days of Action Against Gender-Based Violence) is an international initiative that runs from November 25th to December 10th this year.

Here are some facts & statistics regarding domestic violence and gender-based violence:

  • In North America, 1 in 5 women and girls experienced violence by an intimate partner within the last 12 months

  • Globally, 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime

  • Over the past 12 months, cases of domestic violence increased by 30%

  • On average, every six days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner

  • 85% of domestic violence victims are women

  • Most common age when intimate partner violence is first experienced by women is age 18-24 (38.6%), followed by age 11-17 (22.4%), age 35-44 (6.8%) and age 45+ (2.5%). For men the most common age is age 18-24 (47.1%), followed by age 25-34 (30.6%), age 11-17 (15.0%), age 35-44 (10.3%) and age 45+ (5.5%).

  • In one study, among victims of intimate partner violence, 84% of female victims and 61% of male victims disclosed their victimization to someone, primarily a friend or family member. Only 21% of female victims and 6% of male victims disclosed their victimization to a doctor or nurse at some point in their lifetime

  • Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police

  • Historically, females have been most often victimized by someone they knew

  • Nearly 50% of women have experienced at least one form of psychological aggression by an intimate partner during their lifetime

  • 1 in 4 of victims of police-reported violence are victimized by a family member

Dr. Inverpal Braich

About the Author
Hey! I’m Inverpal. I’m a psychologist and the Director of Clinical Operations at CCIPH. I was born in Toronto, ON but have moved across several cities and provinces in Canada. From a young age, I have been passionate about promoting mental health awareness and increasing the accessibility of mental health services. Due to this passion, I have spent over a decade in the mental health industry, working with several mental health organizations across North America in many diverse roles. I’m also a huge Toronto Raptors fan. In my free time, you can find me playing/watching basketball, watching new movies, learning new things, and spending time with my family.

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