Final answer:
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious social issue with one in four women and one in seven men experiencing it in their lifetime. It can take many forms, including physical violence, sexual abuse, and emotional manipulation. Many cases go unreported due to fears of retaliation and personal safety concerns.
Step-by-step explanation:
A recent estimate on the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) indicates that one in four women has experienced some form of IPV in her lifetime, compared to one in seven men. IPV refers to violence that occurs between individuals who maintain a romantic or sexual relationship and can include physical, sexual, threats and intimidation, emotional abuse, stalking, and technological violence. Accurate statistics are challenging to determine as it is estimated that more than half of nonfatal IPV goes unreported, often due to victims not reporting the abuse or fear of retaliation.
Among the different forms of IPV, physical violence is more common, with instances involving physical violence accounting for 57 percent against women. In contrast, the IPV abuse patterns for men show that nearly all (92 percent) physical acts of IPV take the form of physical violence. Female victims of IPV are also more likely to abuse alcohol or drugs, suffer from eating disorders, and attempt showing that the impacts of IPV extend beyond the immediate physical harm.