Nonfatal physical violence, United States, 1994

Objectives, Most surveillance and research efforts focus on severe violence , especially on homicides. Because less extreme forms of violence may be pr ecursors to more extreme forms, the authors analyzed data from a national s urvey to describe the extent of nonfatal physical violence in the US. Methods. The authors generated weighted national estimates from responses t o a random-digit-dialed telephone survey. Respondents were asked if they ha d been "hit, slapped, pushed. or kicked by another person or hit with an ob ject or weapon" in the preceding 12 months. Respondents were also asked how many times such incidents had occurred and, for the last such episode, the ir relationship with the perpetrator, whether they had been injured, and, i f so, whether they had sought medical treatment. Results. The authors estimate that approximately 15 million people, or 8% o f the US adult population, experienced nonfatal physical violence. as defin ed for this study, during a 12-month period. Male gender, the 18-24-year-ol d age group, never having been married, being out of work or a student, and heavy drinking were associated with a higher likelihood of being assaulted . An estimated 75% of assaults were by a known person and 26% by a stranger . Women were more likely than men to be assaulted by current or former inti mate partners; men were more likely than women to be assaulted by strangers , An estimated 18% of incidents resulted in injuries, and an estimated 7% r equired medical attention. Conclusions, Nonfatal physical violence is fairly common in the US and may lead to more than one million medical encounters each year.