Virginia

By the Numbers

Summary

  • In 2017, there were 164 family and intimate partner homicides in Virginia.1
  • In 2017, 62% (n=102) of family and intimate partner homicides in Virginia were committed with a firearm.2
  • In 2015, there were 15,254 active protection orders in the National Crime Information Center for Virginia, 7,998 of which had a disqualifying Brady Indicator.3

Fatalities

Between 2008 and 2017, there were 1,395 family and intimate partner homicides* in Virginia. Fifty-six percent (n=784) of family and intimate partner homicides were committed with a firearm.

In 2017, there were 164 family and intimate partner homicides, 62% (n=102) of which were committed with a firearm.4

Family and Intimate Partner Homicides
Family and Intimate Partner Homicides Committed with Firearm
Family and Intimate Partner Homicides in Virginia, 2008-2017

Note:

The Family and Intimate Partner (FIP) Homicide Surveillance Project, through the Virginia Department of Public Health, releases an annual report with information on fatal family homicides. They define FIP Homicides as the following six case types:

  1. Intimate Partner Homicide: A homicide in which the victim was killed by one of the following: spouse (married or separated) or former spouse; current or former boyfriend, girlfriend or same–sex partner; or current or former dating partner. This case type could include homicides in which only one of the parties had pursued or perceived a relationship with the other, as in some stalking cases.
  2. Intimate Partner Associated Homicide: A homicide in which the victim was killed as a result of violence stemming from an intimate partner relationship. Victims could include alleged abusers killed by law enforcement or persons caught in the crossfire of intimate partner violence such as friends, co–workers, neighbors, relatives, romantic rivals, or bystanders.
  3. Child Homicide by Caregiver: A homicide in which the victim was a child under the age of 18 killed by a caregiver.
  4. Adult Homicide by Caregiver: A homicide in which the victim was an adult 18 years or older who was killed by a caregiver
  5. Other Family Homicide: A homicide in which the victim was killed by a family member related to them biologically, by marriage, or by other legal arrangement (e.g., foster or adoptive family member) and which does not meet the criteria for one of the four categories above.
  6. Family Associated Homicide: A homicide in which the victim was killed as a result of violence stemming from a familial relationship. Victims could include persons killed by law enforcement during a familial conflict or persons caught in the crossfire, such as friends, co–workers, neighbors, relatives, or bystanders.

Intimate Partner Violence* Victimization and Related Impacts*

The lifetime prevalence* of any contact sexual violence*, physical violence,* and/or stalking victimization* by an intimate partner* in Virginia is:

Females

33.6% Experienced IPV
66.4% No IPV

Among female victims in Virginia who experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime, 58.9% were concerned for safety, 30.3% were injured, 14.6% needed medical care, and 17.6% needed legal services.5

Males

28.6% Experienced IPV
71.4% No IPV

Statistically reliable estimates of the percentage of male victims in Virginia who experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime who were concerned for safety, injured, needed medical care, or needed legal services are not available.6

Domestic Violence Protection Orders

Protection Orders Active in the National Crime Information Center for Virginia, 2006-2015

There were 15,254 active protection orders in the National Crime Information Center for Virginia in 2015, 7,998 of which had a disqualifying Brady Indicator.7

Protection Orders in the National Crime Information Center
Protection Orders with Disqualifying Brady Indicator

Note:

State participation in the National Crime Information Center protection order file is voluntary, thus the extent to which states enter the orders into the system varies. Regardless of how each state refers to such orders, these records are uniformly referred to as “protection orders” in the National Crime Information Center database.

Definitions

  • Contact sexual violence: Combined measure that includes rape, being made to penetrate someone else, sexual coercion, and/or unwanted sexual contact.
  • Family and intimate partner homicide: In Virginia, family and intimate partner homicide includes the following six case types: intimate partner homicide (in which the victim was killed by a current or former intimate partner, as well as some stalking cases); intimate partner associated homicide (in which the victim was killed as a result of violence stemming from an intimate partner relationship, including bystanders and alleged abusers); child homicide by caregiver (in which the victim was a child under the age of 18 killed by a caregiver); adult homicide by caregiver (in which the victim was an adult 18 years or older who was killed by a caregiver); other family homicide (in which the victim was killed by a family member related to them biologically, by marriage, or by other legal arrangement and which does not meet the criteria for one of the four categories above); and family associated homicide (in which the victim was killed as a result of violence stemming from a familial relationship, including bystanders and persons killed by law enforcement).
  • Intimate partner: Romantic or sexual partner and includes spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends, people with whom they dated, were seeing, or “hooked up.”
  • Intimate partner violence: The five types of intimate partner violence measured in the NISVS include sexual violence, stalking, physical violence, psychological aggression, and control of reproductive/sexual health. Sexual violence includes rape, being made to penetrate someone else, sexual coercion, unwanted sexual contact, and non-contact unwanted sexual experiences.
  • Intimate partner violence related impacts: For each perpetrator of domestic violence, the NISVS survey asks victims about specific direct impacts related to intimate partner violence to better understand the consequences of contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.
  • Lifetime prevalence:Proportion of a population who, at some point in life, have ever experienced the characteristic or condition.
  • Protection orders with a disqualifying Brady Indicator: Protection orders related to domestic violence that have been identified as those that prohibit the individual from receiving or possessing firearms under federal law.
  • Physical violence: A range of behaviors from slapping, pushing, or shoving to severe acts that include being hit with a fist or something hard, kicked, hurt by pulling hair, slammed against something, tried to hurt by choking or suffocating, beaten, burned on purpose, or used a knife or gun.
  • Stalking victimization: Pattern of harassing or threatening tactics used by a perpetrator that is both unwanted and causes fear or safety concerns in the victim.

This page was updated November 1, 2021. Please note that data used are the most recent available data.