The BKA study shows: men and women in Germany have faced psychological and physical violence almost equally often over the past five years, but perceive the seriousness of the situations experienced differently.
Men and women in Germany have experienced psychological and physical violence in intimate relationships almost equally often over the past five years. During this period, 23.8% of women and 23.3% of men faced psychological violence from a partner or ex-partner, according to a study published on Tuesday, February 10, by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) titled "Living Situation, Safety, and Everyday Burden." Physical violence was experienced by 5.2% of women and 6.1% of men.
However, as the study notes, there are significant differences in the assessment of the severity of incidents: women experience more fear and perceive the facts of violence as more serious.
Cases of partner violence rarely reach the police. The proportion of reports regarding psychological violence is less than 3%. 2.7% of affected women and 3.5% of men reported physical violence.
Significant gender differences were identified in other forms of violence: over the past five years, 36.3% of women have experienced sexual harassment, while the figure for men was 16.3%. Sexual assaults were experienced by 4% of surveyed women and 1.4% of men.
In a representative study conducted from July 2023 to January 2025, nearly 15,500 people were surveyed. The work was carried out in collaboration with the BKA, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry for Family Affairs. Unlike previous studies that mainly focused on women, this research examines the issue from a gender-neutral perspective to gain a more comprehensive understanding of experiences of violence in society.
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