PTSD and Intimate Partner Violence (Excerpt from PTSD Monthly Update from the US Dept. of VA)
Cathy Murphy
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) refers specifically to violence and aggression between intimate partners. IPV can include physical, sexual or psychological abuse or stalking.
In the United States, about 1 in 4 women (or 27%) and 1 in 10 men (or 11%) report having been harmed by sexual or physical violence, or by stalking by an intimate partner at some point in their lives.
IPV can be life threatening and lead to PTSD. Symptoms of PTSD can sometimes increase individuals’ risk for future IPV, so it can be important to recognize and treat PTSD symptoms among individuals who experience IPV.
Read more about PTSD symptoms and treatment in our booklets: Understanding PTSD and Understanding PTSD Treatment.
Get Help
The following phone numbers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It may be helpful to memorize them in case of emergency.
- Call 911
- National Domestic Violence Hotline:
1-800-799-SAFE (7233) responds to calls 24/7, every day of the year to offer confidential crisis intervention. (www.thehotline.org) - National Sexual Assault Hotline:
1-800-656-4673 offers free, confidential, live help for sexual assault victims and their friends and families. (www.rainn.org)
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