1

Intimate partner violence

Internet usage can be monitored and is impossible to erase completely. If you are concerned your internet usage might be monitored, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233). Learn more about digital security and remember to clear your browser history after visiting this website. Select the red “Exit” button in the lower-right corner at any time to leave this web page immediately and redirect to a neutral, external website.

Overview

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious issue that affects many people. IPV includes violence between former or current romantic partners and those who may or may not live together. IPV varies in frequency and severity and can take several forms, including physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, psychological abuse, intimidation, threats, and/or financial or economic abuse. One in three women and one in four men have experienced physical violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime.

While not all IPV involves a weapon, over half of intimate partner homicides in the United States involve a firearm. The risk of intimate partner homicide is five times higher when an abuser has access to a firearm. The risk of violence can increase further when someone tries to leave an abusive relationship.

Firearms can also be used to injure or threaten others without firing the weapon. More than 25 million adults in the U.S. have been threatened by an intimate partner with a firearm or have been abused by a partner who had easy access to a firearm.

Anyone can experience and be affected by IPV, but some groups are more at risk than others. IPV is most often perpetrated by men against women. Black, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native women; people with disabilities; immigrants/refugees; those who are pregnant and post-partum; and people in the LGBTQ+ community are particularly at risk for experiencing violence by an intimate partner.

In Colorado

  • Similar to national trends, 37% of women and 31% of men in Colorado have experienced physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking by an intimate partner.
  • From 2018 to 2022, about 21% of firearm-related homicides in Colorado involved IPV.
  • From 2018 to 2022, about 70% of intimate partner homicides in Colorado involved a firearm.
  • In 2023, about 36% of Colorado adults reported being concerned about IPV in their local community, and 18% reported they are concerned about IPV happening to themselves or their family.

Prevention and intervention

Survivors of IPV are not to blame for the abuse or violence they experience. IPV can be prevented by addressing the needs of individuals and the community circumstances that lead to it. For more information on these strategies, refer to the secure firearm storage, out-of-home firearm storage, lethal means safety counseling, and firearm business partnerships webpages.

 

  1. Adhia, A., Lyons, V. H., Moe, C. A., Rowhani-Rahbar, A., & Rivara, F. P. (2021). Nonfatal use of firearms in intimate partner violence: Results of a national survey. Preventive Medicine, 147, 106500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106500 
  2. Campbell, J. C., Webster, D., Koziol-McLain, J., Block, C., Campbell, D., Curry, M. A., Gary, F., Glass, N., McFarlane, J., Sachs, C., Sharps, P., Ulrich, Y., Wilt, S. A., Manganello, J., Xu, X., Schollenberger, J., Frye, V., & Laughon, K. (2003). Risk factors for femicide in abusive relationships: Results from a multisite case control study. American Journal of Public Health, 93(7), 1089–1097. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.93.7.1089   
  3. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). (2017). Intimate partner violence prevention: Resource for action. Retrieved September 10, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/media/pdf/resources-for-action/IPV-Prevention-Resource_508.pdf 
  4. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). (2022). About intimate partner violence. Retrieved February 7, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/intimate-partner-violence/about/index.html  
  5. CDPHE (Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment). (2019, October). HealthWatch No 110: Mortality from intimate partner violence in Colorado. Retrieved March 5, 2025, from https://cdphe.colorado.gov/center-for-health-and-environmental-data/ched-publications 
  6. CDPHE (Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment). Colorado Health Information Dataset, Homicide Dashboard. 2018-2022
    https://cdphe.colorado.gov/colorado-homicide-statistics 
  7. COFIPS (Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Survey). (2023). Preliminary analysis. Retrieved February 23, 2024, from https://rpubs.com/klittle/COFIPS_prelim4  
  8. Fridel, E. E., & Fox, J. A. (2019). Gender differences in patterns and trends in U.S. homicide, 1976–2017. Violence and Gender, 6(1), 27–36. https://doi.org/10.1089/vio.2019.0005   
  9. Kafka, J. M., Moracco, K. E., Williams, D. S., & Hoffman, C. G. (2021). What is the role of firearms in nonfatal intimate partner violence? Findings from civil protective order case data. Social Science & Medicine, 283, 114212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114212    
  10. Leemis, R. W., Friar, N., Khatiwada, S., Chen, M. S., Kresnow, M., Smith, S. G., Caslin, S., & Basile, K. C. (2022, June). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2016/2017 report on intimate partner violence. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/nisvsReportonSexualViolence.pdf    
  11. NCADV (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence). (2020). Domestic violence in Colorado. https://weldw2w.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/ncadv_colorado_fact_sheet_2020.pdf