The Center for Disease Control (CDC) defines Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) as “a serious, preventable public health problem that affects millions of Americans. The term ‘intimate partner violence’ describes physical, sexual, or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse. This type of violence can occur among heterosexual or same-sex couples and does not require sexual intimacy.”
The Correctional Association of New York describes the impact of IPV to women in corrections noting that the vast majority of women in our correctional systems either have, are currently or will experience interpersonal violence in their lives.
Estimates are that three-quarters have histories of severe physical abuse by an intimate partner during adulthood, and 82% suffered serious physical or sexual abuse as children. This is a critical issue impacting women in our systems and those that are preparing for reentry into the community.
The most recent National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey provides national statistics on the seriousness of IPV:
- On average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States–more than 12 million women and men over the course of a year.
- Nearly 3 in 10 women and 1 in 10 men in the US have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by a partner and report a related impact on their functioning.
Additional resources on understanding IPV and the impact of IPV on women can be found here:
- Understanding Intimate Partner Violence, Fact Sheet, CDC, 2012
- Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and HIV in Women, CDC, 2014
- Working with Battered Women in Jail, National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women, 2009
- Best Practice Toolkit for Working with Domestic Violence Survivors with Criminal Histories, Michigan Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, 2011
- Intimate Partner Violence Risk Assessment Tools: A Review, Canada Department of Justice, 2012