Domestic Violence is No “Little Fight” — It’s a National Crisis

September 9, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: NNEDV Communications Team (Communications@NNEDV.org)

Washington, DC – Survivors of domestic violence live in every community and come from every walk of life. Their stories are not isolated; they are a devastating reality for millions of individuals, families, and future generations. Last year, in just one day, close to 80,000[1] victims of domestic violence reached out for help to flee the violence that was affecting their lives; for them, domestic violence is not a “little fight.” For them, domestic violence is a daily toll that takes over their lives, tears apart their families, and leaves lasting scars on themselves, their children, and their community.

Domestic violence is not rare, private, or harmless; it is a nationwide crisis that touches every family and community. Far from being a “family matter,” its ripple effects are felt in schools, workplaces, and health care systems, and across generations. It is not a lovers’ quarrel but a pattern of coercive, controlling behavior that kills thousands of people in the U.S. every year. The CDC reports that, in the year leading up to its National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, an estimated 17 million people were harmed by physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking from a partner. [2] On average, every day, more than three women are killed by current or former husbands or boyfriends, making it clear that domestic violence is not only pervasive but deadly.[3]

“Domestic violence is a crisis that strikes at the core of our communities,” said Stephanie Love-Patterson, President & CEO of the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). “Behind every victim is a story of escalating coercion, fear, and violence that can’t be ignored or trivialized. We cannot lose sight of the fact that those affected are our friends, coworkers, daughters, sons, and people we love. Making them safe in their own homes is making our country safer.”

We call on our institutions and elected officials to confront domestic violence for what it truly is: a national crisis, never trivial, never private, and never to be ignored. That means shaping public understanding to reflect the seriousness of the issue, fully funding lifesaving services in every community, investing in prevention to stop abuse before it begins, and strengthening our systems so no survivor is left without safety, dignity, or support. Anything less is a collective failure — of our nation and of us as people.

[1] National Network to End Domestic Violence. (2025). 19th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report. Washington, DC: NNEDV. Retrieved from NNEDV.org/DVCounts.

[2] Leemis, R. W., Breiding, M. J., Chen, J., Black, M. C., & Smith, S. G. (2022). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2016/2017 Report on Intimate Partner Violence (Updated release). National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[3] Violence Policy Center (2024). When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2022 Homicide Data. Retrieved from https://vpc.org/studies/wmmw2024.pdf

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The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) represents the 56 state and U.S. territorial coalitions against domestic violence. NNEDV is a social change organization working to create a social, political, and economic environment in which domestic violence no longer exists. NNEDV works to make domestic violence a national priority, change the way society responds to domestic violence, and strengthen domestic violence advocacy at every level.