Intimate Partner Violence and Age of Victim, 1993-99

Estimates from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) indicate that in 1999 persons age 12 or older experienced about 791,210 violent crimes by a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend. Intimate partner violence is primarily a crime against women: During 1999 females experienced 671,110 (85%) such violent victimizations; males, 120,100 (15%). Younger women generally had higher rates of intimate partner violence than older women. 1 The 1999 per capita rate of intimate partner violence against women was 6 victimizations per 1,000; per 1,000 females age 16-24, it was 16 victimizations, and per 1,000 females age 25-34, 9 victimizations. Overall, older women experienced intimate partner violence at rates that were about equal among different ethnic or racial groups. Only among women age 20-24 did blacks experience more intimate violence than whites. • Intimate partner violence rates differ greatly based on the age of the victim. While the overall per capita rate of intimate partner violence against women was 5.8 victimizations per 1,000 in 1999, among females age 16-24, it was 15.6 per 1,000. • Between 1993 and 1999 the overall rate of intimate partner violence against all females decreased 41% from 10 to 6 victimizations per 1,000 females age 12 or older. Rates of intimate partner violence fell for females age 20-24, 25-34, and 35-49. • Black and white females experienced intimate partner violence at similar rates for every age group examined except age 20-24. For this age, there were 29 intimate partner victimizations per 1,000 black women and 20 per 1,000 white women. • Women separated from their husbands were victimized by an intimate at rates higher than married, divorced, widowed, or never married women. • Intimate partners murdered 1,218 women during 1999. From 1993 to 1999 intimates killed 32% of all female murder victims age 20-24. • Women age 35-49 were the most vulnerable to intimate murder.