A new study reveals that the rates of physical and sexual violence in Louisiana is declining, but is still widespread. It was all part of the Louisiana Study on Violence Experiences Across the Lifespan (LaVEX 2025)Researchers at the Newcomb Institute at Tulane University measured the change over the past two years.
* Physical violence is pervasive in Louisiana, affecting the majority of the population. Gun violence affects more than 1 in 6 Louisianans, with men at greater risk than women.
As the Louisiana Radio Network reports, Newcomb Institute Executive Director and lead researcher Prof. Anita Raj, PhD, says the statewide survey shows physical violence has dropped slightly for men, But women continue to face higher risks of sexual and intimate partner violence. “Intimate partner violence, which can include any kind of violence but very specific to a partner, we see no decline in violence. And that really corresponds with the physical violence findings with women because most physical violence is happening from partners.”
* Among those who had experienced physical violence in the past year, most indicated its occurrence in the home and secondarily in public spaces. Women are more likely than men to have experienced violence at home; men are more likely than women to experienced violence in public spaces.
Raj says nearly one in four women report forced sex in their lifetime and more than one in four say a partner had burned, chocked, or used a weapon against them. She says the study also showed that adults who lacked money for food or basic needs in the past year were two to six times more likely to experience violence. Beyond the percentages, and statistics, the sheer numbers of people affected is staggering.
According the study results, “an estimated 1.9 million adults in Louisiana have experienced physical violence, 1.5 million have experienced sexual violence, including harassment, coercion and assault, and 1.8 million have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime.”
* Respondents most often indicated mental health consequences from physical violence experienced in the past year, and secondarily, life changes to manage their safety. Most did not seek help. Women were more likely to seek medical help and men more likely to file a complaint.
Based on such facts Raj concludes, "Violence is not only a personal tragedy; it’s a public problem that affects our families, workforce and communities. We cannot improve health and safety in our state without addressing the ubiquity of violence.” Raj says LaVEX is the only comprehensive, population-level survey on violence in Louisiana and one of the few such studies in the United States. The full 2025 report is available at https://www.vexdata.org/lavex-report-2025/.
