Science Explained/Brief
National study finds more than half of U.S. adults experienced physical violence, nearly half sexual violence
A new national study reports that more than half of U.S. adults have experienced physical violence and nearly half have experienced sexual violence in their lifetimes. The study also links violence to economic hardship, mental health and substance use, but the available summary does not include methodological details.
The U.S. National Study on Violence Experiences Across the Lifespan (USVEX) found that more than half of U.S. adults have experienced physical violence and nearly half have experienced sexual violence in their lifetimes. The study also reports stark disparities in who experiences violence and how closely it is linked to economic hardship, mental health and substance use.
What the reporting says
Each line below is stated by the page named above it, and only by that page.
Stated by phys.org
- More than half of U.S. adults have experienced physical violence in their lifetimes.
- Nearly half of U.S. adults have experienced sexual violence in their lifetimes.
- The study shows stark disparities in who experiences violence and how closely violence is linked to economic hardship, mental health and substance use.
Our view
The study provides population-level prevalence estimates, but without methodological details in the summary, the causal direction of the links to hardship and health remains uncertain.
What the reporting says: A new national study reveals more than half of U.S. adults have experienced physical violence and nearly half have experienced sexual violence in their lifetimes, and that the study shows stark disparities in who experiences violence and how closely it is linked to economic hardship, mental health and substance use.
Sources
- Phys.orgText stored 16 September 2026 · checked 16 September 2026
Found through monitored feeds: Phys.org. A feed address is how the desk finds a story, not the evidence for it — the sources listed above are the pages the facts were taken from.
How this story was checked. Written from the 1 page listed above, stored 16 September 2026; claims checked against that stored text on 16 September 2026.
What that means
- 3 of 3 reported statements were confirmed against the page that carries them; the rest were removed rather than published.
- Figures in the text were required to appear in the stored source text: yes. Identifiers: yes.
- The check reads stored text only: no claim rests on a fresh look that did not happen.
- Where the reporting was silent, the text says so instead of filling the gap.