How widespread is assault in the United States?

• In 2019 aggravated assault cases accounted for 68% of violent crimes reported in the United States.[2]
• Those assaulted tend to be female with the majority of their assaulters personally known to them such as a spouse or family member.[3]

[2] FBI: UCR. (2019). Violent Crime. 2019 Crime in the United States. Retrieved from: https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/topic-pages/violent-crime.

[3] Victims of Crime. (2015). Assault. NCVRW Resource Guide. Retrieved from: https://victimsofcrime.org/docs/default-source/ncvrw2015/2015ncvrw_stats_assault.pdf?sfvrsn=2.

What culture changes and public policies are necessary for preventing assault?

While assault tends to occur for many different reasons, most agencies only track statistics related to assault in domestic abuse cases. Creating a better tracking system for all assault cases might give us a better idea of why assault occurs, and what steps we can take toward decreasing it.

What practical solutions are effective for assault?

Conflict resolution trainings, counseling services, and other early interventions have been shown to aid in decreasing assault in domestic situations, and these programs help keep offenders from reoffending after they are released.

What can I do to prevent or stop assault?

• Domestic Abuse —If you or someone you know is involved in domestic abuse you can find both local and national resources by visiting: thehotline.org.
• Women’s Resources for Domestic Abuse— national and local information and resources on women’s shelters and 24/7 support: womaninc.org.
• In case of emergency—If you are experiencing or witnessing an emergency, call 911 or try to get to a location where others can observe your distress and intervene.

Where can I find statistics about assault?

• For national-level statistics about assault, go to https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov.
• For state and sub-state level statistics about assault, go to https://ncadv.org/state-by-state.

Where else might I go to learn more about assault?

• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence – Coalition leading the fight to change conditions which lead to domestic abuse and assault, https://ncadv.org/.
• National Center for Victims of Crime – Advocates for stronger protections, rights, and services for victims, https://victimsofcrime.org/about-us/our-work.
• Joyful Heart Foundation- Supports victims of sexual assault, domestic abuse and child abuse, http://www.joyfulheartfoundation.org/.
• RAINN- The nation’s largest sexual assault hotline operating 24/7, https://www.rainn.org/.

Information Sheet-Do Something-Assault (PDF)

Have a suggested improvement to this information sheet? Send it to inbox@peacethroughaction.org