Domestic violence generally refers to overt physical abuse, sexual violence, or psychological violence between spouses, ex-spouses, boyfriends or girlfriends. Estimates of the level of domestic violence nationwide vary depending on how the term is defined, with most researchers agreeing that the majority of domestic violence victims are women.
The federal government administers two Acts to address domestic violence: the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, and the Violence Against Women Act. A third federal program, the Victims of Crime Act, also includes services for victims of domestic violence. This report presents statistics on domestic violence, and discusses federal programs to deal with the problem.