USVEX Survey Reports 52% Lifetime Physical Violence Exposure Among US Adults

The USVEX study, conducted October-December 2025 across all 50 states, used direct self-report to capture unreported incidents missed by crime statistics. Researchers documented intimate partner violence in 61% of women and 45% of men, with potentially lethal forms affecting 19% of women versus 3% of men. Economic hardship showed dose-response patterns: eviction raised recent physical violence odds sevenfold and intimate partner violence nearly fivefold, while homelessness multiplied physical violence risk five times. These associations held after adjusting for demographics.

Contextual analysis reveals violence clusters with youth onset, substance use, and behavioral health crises, forming syndemics rather than isolated events. Unlike prior crime-report studies, USVEX exposes how underreporting obscures prevalence, particularly among economically marginalized groups. The data challenge siloed prevention models and align with patterns seen in CDC behavioral risk surveillance showing overlapping adversities.

Next steps require longitudinal cohorts to test whether economic interventions reduce violence incidence by 20% or more within five years. Integrated policy trials addressing housing, mental health, and substance treatment simultaneously are needed to move beyond correlational evidence.