More than half of adults in the United States have experienced physical violence during their lifetime, according to a new national study. The research, led by academics from Tulane University’s Newcomb Institute and the University of California, San Diego, also found that nearly half of US adults have experienced sexual violence.
The study, titled Violence in America: Findings from the 2025 United States Violence Experiences Survey (USVEX), surveyed 2,720 adults across all 50 states between October and December 2025. It found that 52% of US adults had experienced physical violence, a rate that was consistent for both women and men. Sexual violence was reported by 49% of US adults, with a higher prevalence among women (68%) compared to men (29%).
In the past year, 5% of American adults experienced physical violence, and 3% reported physical abuse without a weapon. Women most frequently experienced physical violence from a spouse or romantic partner (61%), while men most commonly experienced it from a stranger (38%). Both women and men most often reported physical violence occurring at home, at 69% and 34% respectively.
The study also highlighted the mental health consequences of violence. Among those who experienced physical violence in the past year, 48% of women and 26% of men reported anxiety or depression. For sexual violence experienced in the past year, 42% of women and 39% of men reported suffering from depression or anxiety.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) was also found to be widespread, affecting 61% of women and 45% of men. Nearly one in five women (19%) reported potentially lethal IPV, compared to 3% of men. The study noted a sharp increase in experiences of violence during adolescence and young adulthood.
Economic hardship was closely linked to experiences of violence. Adults who had been evicted in the previous year were seven times more likely to report recent physical violence, three times more likely to report sexual violence, and nearly five times more likely to report intimate partner violence.