More Than Half of US Adults Have Experienced Violence, Study Finds

More than half of American adults have experienced physical violence at some point in their lives, and nearly half have endured sexual violence, according to a sweeping new national report that paints a far more pervasive picture of victimization than many might expect.

The findings come from the U.S. National Study on Violence Experiences Across the Lifespan, known as USVEX. Researchers found that violence is tightly woven into the fabric of American life, with strong associations to youth, economic hardship, and substance use.

A nation's violence burden, by the numbers

The USVEX study surveyed 2,720 adults across all 50 states between October and December 2025. All participants were 18 or older. The results reveal that 52% of U.S. adults have experienced physical violence in their lifetime, while 49% have experienced sexual violence.

Those figures suggest that violence is not a rare or marginal event but a common experience affecting tens of millions of people. The study also found that violence is closely tied to youth, financial instability, and substance use, indicating that prevention efforts must consider social and economic contexts.

Intimate partner violence emerged as a particularly widespread form of harm. Six in ten women (61%) reported having experienced intimate partner violence, compared with nearly half of men (45%).

For nearly one in five women (19%), that violence was potentially lethal — including beating, burning, strangulation, or incidents involving a knife or gun. By contrast, only 3% of men reported such severe forms of intimate partner violence.

Economic hardship and the risk of violence

The study uncovered striking links between financial struggles and violence victimization.

• People who had experienced eviction were seven times as likely to report recent physical violence, three times more likely to have experienced sexual violence, and nearly five times more likely to report intimate partner violence.
• Homelessness was associated with five times the odds of physical violence, more than three times the likelihood of sexual violence, and four times the odds of intimate partner violence.

These patterns suggest that housing instability and economic distress may both elevate exposure to violence and complicate efforts to escape it. When people lack stable housing or face eviction, they may be forced into unsafe environments or situations where controlling partners can exert greater power.

Mental health and substance use connections

Researchers also found that people reporting recent violence were significantly more likely to be suffering from depression. The report highlights mental health as both a consequence and a potential risk factor, forming part of a complex web of adversity that includes substance use.

While the source material does not detail the full range of mental health outcomes, the association with depression underscores the need for integrated support services. Survivors of violence often need mental health care, addiction treatment, and economic assistance simultaneously.

Youth and lifetime exposure

The study notes that violence is closely tied to youth, meaning that younger adults may face heightened risks or that early exposure can shape lifelong trajectories. Because USVEX examines experiences across the lifespan, it captures how violence can begin in youth and persist or recur over decades.

Understanding the age distribution of victimization is essential for designing prevention programs that reach people early, before patterns of violence become entrenched.

Prevention cannot work in isolation

Jakana Thomas, a professor of political science at the University of California San Diego and a co-lead researcher on the study, said the USVEX data provide a clearer view of the country's violence landscape, including the varied ways different communities experience violence.

She stressed that violence prevention efforts cannot stand alone. According to Thomas, such efforts need to be embedded in a wider approach that tackles financial hardship, mental health challenges, and other social inequalities tied to violence.

That perspective challenges approaches that treat violence solely as a criminal justice issue. Instead, the findings point toward public health and social policy interventions that tackle root causes such as poverty, housing insecurity, and inadequate mental health care.

What the findings mean for policy and practice

The USVEX report arrives at a time when many communities are grappling with high rates of violent crime, domestic abuse, and sexual assault. Its national scope — covering all 50 states — provides a baseline for understanding how widespread these experiences are.

The study's authors suggest that strategies to reduce violence should be woven into broader efforts to improve economic stability and mental health services. For example, eviction prevention programs, affordable housing initiatives, and substance use treatment could serve as violence prevention tools.

Additionally, the stark gender differences in intimate partner violence, especially potentially lethal incidents, highlight the need for targeted support for women. Shelters, legal protections, and crisis services remain critical, but the data suggest that addressing financial dependence and housing instability could also reduce danger.

Researchers caution that the survey relies on self-reported experiences, which may be affected by memory or willingness to disclose. Still, the large sample and rigorous methodology lend weight to the findings.

A call for integrated solutions

The USVEX study makes clear that violence is not an isolated problem. It intersects with poverty, housing, mental health, and substance use in ways that demand coordinated responses.

As Thomas and her colleagues suggest, preventing violence requires more than policing. It requires a commitment to reducing economic hardship, expanding mental health care, and addressing the social inequalities that leave some communities more vulnerable than others.

For policymakers, health professionals, and community leaders, the message is that safety and stability are deeply connected. Until those connections are addressed, more than half of Americans will continue to carry the weight of violence in their lifetimes.

This article is based on reporting by Medical Xpress. Read the original article.