Final answer:
Young adults aged 18-24 experience the highest rates of violent victimization, especially in the context of intimate partner violence. Other factors such as marital status, income disparities, and race can influence rates of IPV. Children and elderly individuals also face victimization, often in different contexts such as neglect and caregiver abuse, respectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
The group that experiences the highest rate of violent victimization is young adults (18-24 years old). This age group is particularly at risk for nonfatal abuse, which includes intimate partner violence (IPV). Among high school students who report being in a dating relationship, there is a notable prevalence of physical violence, sexual violence, and forced sexual intercourse. Furthermore, IPV victimization during young adulthood, including college years, can lead to continuous victimization into adulthood.
Another important aspect to consider is the context in which IPV occurs. Separated individuals often encounter higher rates of abuse, and those who are cohabitating are more likely to experience IPV compared to their married counterparts, especially in low-income disadvantaged areas. Additionally, black women and Native Americans and Alaskan Natives face higher rates of IPV, showing that IPV affects different segments of the population at varying rates.
Children under 12 years old, especially infants, are also highly victimized through neglect, but the context here differs from IPV. For elderly individuals, if they suffer abuse, it is most often perpetrated by caregivers rather than violent victimization.