What are the rates of emotional abuse in women?

Intimate partner violence (IPV) or domestic violence (DV), also known as relationship violence, is a pattern of behavior which involves the abuse by one partner against another in an intimate relationship such as marriage, cohabitation, dating or casual acquaintance. The abuse may be physical, emotional, psychological, economic or sexual in nature and may escalate over time.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in three women worldwide (or about 736 million women) has experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner (excluding sexual harassment) in their lifetime.

In the United States, the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) found that in 2015, more than 1 in 4 women (24.3%) and more than 1 in 10 men (10.6%) experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by a current or former intimate partner in their lifetime.

A study conducted by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) found that emotional abuse is the most common form of IPV, with 48.4% of women and 48.8% of men reporting experiencing emotional abuse from their partners in their lifetime.

Emotional abuse can take many forms, including:

- Verbal abuse: Insulting, degrading, or belittling the victim.

- Intimidation: Threatening the victim or their loved ones with harm.

- Isolation: Preventing the victim from seeing or talking to friends and family.

- Control: Monitoring the victim's movements and activities.

- Gaslighting: Making the victim doubt their own memories or perceptions.

Emotional abuse can have serious and long-lasting effects on the victim, including:

- Low self-esteem

- Depression

- Anxiety

- PTSD

- Difficulty forming and maintaining healthy relationships

- Substance abuse

- Increased risk of suicide

If you are experiencing emotional abuse, there are resources available to help you. Please contact a domestic violence hotline or service in your area. You can also find more information and resources on the websites of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) and the National Domestic Violence Hotline.