Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Statistics: More than Numbers

Every statistic tells us a story of a life impacted by domestic and sexual violence. And every single instance is just the start of the ripple effect of violence throughout families and communities.

South Carolina Statistics

Each year, tens of thousands of survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault are served directly by SCCADVASA member organizations, including those who accessed 24-hr hotlines. Additionally, SCCADVASA responds annually to ~1000 requests for technical assistance (TA) and provides professional capacity building assistance to improve victim services. In 2022, SCCADVASA trained over 3,708 people with 10,702 hours of total training provided.

2023 Media Resource Sheet

Gathering statistics for sexual assault and domestic violence is not a straightforward exercise as numbers and information are pulled together from multiple resources. While we do our best to keep this up to date, we are only able to provide information as we receive it.

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Our Impact | SCCADVASA Statistics 2022:

  • 95 Trainings to 3,708 people
  • 10,702 Total Hours of Training
  • 944 Responses to Technical Assistance Requests
  • 261 Survivors Provided with Direct Legal Services/Assistance through our Legal Program

SCCADVASA Member Statistics 2022:

  • 38,621 survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault were served directly by member organizations located throughout S.C.
  • 16,553 survivors accessed 24-hr hotlines

Sexual Assault Statistics + Member Programs Impact | South Carolina*

  • 3,536 number of new primary survivors of sexual assault who sought services from a rape crisis center
  • 2,037 adults, 1,499 children under 18
  • 427 of these said they reported to law enforcement (12% of total primary victims)
  • 506 accompaniment for support during a hospital forensic exam/rape kit
  • 2,967 — number of crisis calls received
  • 92% knew their offender: 15% current/former spouse or boyfriend, 47% relative, parent, parent’s partner, sibling, 30% friend or acquaintance

*Collected from SCCADVASA Sexual Assault Member Organizations — only 18 of 22 organizations reporting

Domestic Violence Statistics | South Carolina*

  • Total IPV Assaults & Homicides:
    • Total Incidents Reported to Law Enforcement: 25,580
    • Total Victims: 31,878
    • When it comes to IPV assault and homicide, there is often more than one victim.
  • Breakdown of IPV Assaults & Homicides:
    • IPV Simple Assault:
      • Total Incidents Reported to Law Enforcement: 21,310
      • Total Victims: 26,061
    • IPV Aggravated Assault:
      • Total Incidents Reported to Law Enforcement: 4,214
      • Total Victims: 5,742
    • IPV Homicide:
      • Total Incidents Reported to Law Enforcement: 56
      • Total Victims: 75

*SLED Data January – Dec 2021

Domestic Violence Centers Impact | South Carolina*

  • 42.3% of S.C.women & 29.2% of S.C. men experience intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking in their lifetimes
  • 57 Domestic Violence Homicides in S.C. in 2021
  • 40 Years Old — The average age of an S.C. DV homicide victim; victims’ ages ranged from 18-83
  • In 79% of S.C. Domestic Violence Fatalities, the primary cause of death was a gunshot
  • South Carolina records an average of 32,563 cases of intimate partner violence each year
  • 20,993 accessed shelter or supportive services: 1,908 adults & 1,480 children received shelter
  • 13,586 — number of crisis calls received 

*For source information, see 2023 Media Resource Sheet

More Detailed Statistics*

  • Number of People Receiving Shelter for the Year:
    • 3,415 Total survivors
      • 1,900 Adults (56%)
      • 1,515 Children under 18 y/o (44%)
    • 59,570 shelter nights
    • 272 survivors turned away from shelter due to lack of space
  • Number of Survivors Receiving Supportive Services for the Year:
    • 18,046 Total People
      • 15,916 Adults (88%)
      • 2,130 Children (12%)
  • Number of Crisis Calls: 14,494
  • Relationship to Offender (where reported) (Total N = 8,123)
    • Current/former spouse: 2,882 (35%)
    • Current/former dating partner: 2,177 (27%)
    • Current/former cohabitating partner: 3,064 (38%)
  • Additional Information on Specific Demographics:
    • By Racial Breakdown (where reported) (shelter N = 1,049, supportive services N = 8,306)
      • African American shelter residents: 456 (43%)
      • African American support service recipients: 3,391 (41%)
      • American Indian/Alaska Native shelter residents: 14 (1.3%)
      • American Indian/Alaska Native support service recipients: 22 (.26%)
      • Asian shelter residents: 7 (.67%)
      • Asian support service recipients: 65 (.78%)
      • Hispanic/Latino shelter residents: 52 (5%)
      • Hispanic support service recipients: 412 (5%)
      • Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander shelter residents: 5 (.47%)
      • Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander support service recipients: 31 (.37%)
      • White shelter residents: 493 (47%)
      • White support service recipients: 3,967(48%)
    • Identified Special Population (where reported)
      • Physical Disability: Shelter: 85, Non-Shelter: 263
      • Mental Disability: Shelter: 123, Non-Shelter: 307
      • Alcohol/Drug: Shelter: 191, Non-Shelter: 577
      • Immigrant/Refugee/Asylum Seeker: Shelter: 24, Non-Shelter: 128
      • Limited English Proficient: Shelter: 36, Non-Shelter: 172
      • LGBTQI: Shelter: 15, Non-Shelter: 154

*From DSS for Federal Fiscal Year October 2021

View 2020 Services & Statistics Infographic

To view additional information and resources on key topics within the Get Information section of the SCCADVASA website, we encourage you to visit those specific pages using the drop-down menu. If you have additional questions or are not able to find the information you are seeking, please contact us today.