by Patricia Tjaden and Nancy Thoennes

About the authors: Patricia Tjaden is a senior researcher at the Center for Policy Research; Nancy Thoennes is associate director at the center. The Center for Policy Research is a private, nonprofit research firm in Denver, Colorado.

Research on violence against women has exploded in the past 20 years, particularly in the areas of intimate partner violence and sexual assault. Despite this outpouring of research, many gaps exist in our understanding of violence against women. For instance, reliable information on minority women’s experiences with violence is still lacking. Few empirical data exist on the relationship between different forms of violence against women, such as victimization in childhood and subsequent victimization. Finally, empirical data on the consequences of violence against women, including their injury rates...