1. Prevalence data and victim surveys
2. Costs of domestic violence
3. Age distribution of domestic violence
4. Number of deaths
1. Prevalence data and victim surveys
Police Data
Corresponding with the German federal system’s differentiation into federal states (“Bundesländer”), the German police and their respective police laws are applied on a federal level. Thus, how police report domestic violence cases depends on the federal state. In regular intervals, the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) publishes a report on crime statistics pertaining domestic violence (most recent: BKA, 2023).
Police crime record PKS (Bundeskriminalamt)
The main police database on domestic violence incidents is the crime record “Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik” (PKS) annually provided by the Bundeskriminalamt. The PKS for the Federal Republic of Germany is compiled by the Federal Criminal Police Office on the basis of the state data supplied by the 16 state criminal police offices. The PKS provides information about the circumstances of the crime, suspects, victims and damage.
Criminal prosecution statistics (Bundesamt für Justiz)
The Bundesamt für Justiz provides the criminal prosecution statistics which display the decision-making practice of the criminal courts. Domestic violence is rather “embedded” in crime reports, e.g. when victim and offender are married or when the Protection of Violence Act (Gewaltschutzgesetz) has been violated.
Victim surveys
Early surveys
Until the end of the 1990s only few victim surveys about violence against men and women were carried out (e.g., Wetzels and Pfeiffer, 1995). These studies did not offer information whether violence took place among family members or intimate partners (domestic violence). Only a few small-size studies focusing on domestic violence (e.g., Hirsch & Brendebach, 1999) were conducted.
The first comprehensive analysis about the nationwide situation of violence against women was published in 2004: “Life situation, security, and health of women in Germany” by Müller, Schröttle, Hess, & Prussog-Wagner (“Lebenssituation, Sicherheit und Gesundheit von Frauen in Deutschland”, 2004). 10.000 women (aged 16 to 85) were interviewed to have a representative overview on violence against women in different contexts and consequences of violence in Germany. Simultaneously, a pilot study (Jungnitz et al., 2004) was conducted on violence against men with a similar experimental design. As it was only a pilot study the sample size with 298 interviewees was quite small and therefore not representative for Germany.
Representative studies
Germany was also one country in the 2014 published study by European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights where 42.000 in-person interviews with a random sample of women across the 28 EU Member States were conducted and 1.200 interviewees from Germany. Another study that should be mentioned was published by Hellmann (2014), who conducted a representative study on several forms of victimisation including domestic violence and stalking comprising a sample of 11,428 German study participants.
Specific subsamples in surveys
Between 2004 and 2014 several investigations with various specific subsamples of German domestic violence victims were published, e.g., two studies focussing on violence against women (Schröttle et al., 2013) and men (Puchert et al., 2013) with impairments and disabilities. Within the domain of home care arrangements, three studies by Görgen and colleagues (Görgen, Bauer & Schröder, 2009; Görgen, Herbst & Rabold, 2009; Nägele et al., 2009) were conducted. Also, secondary analyses of the study by Müller et al. (2004) were carried out with a special emphasis on different victim groups (e.g., Schröttle & Ansorge, 2008; Schröttle & Khelifat, 2008) and also several smaller studies were performed (e.g. Brzank, Hellbernd, Maschewsky-Schneider & Kallischnigg, 2005). One recent study on the scope of female genital mutilation was published by Nestlinger and colleagues in 2017.
Recent studies
Recent studies on victimisation experiences (domestic violence) were published by Baer et al. (2023) for Saxony and LKA Niedersachsen (2022) for Lower Saxony (where a follow-up study will be published soon). Furthermore, one study on the German situation during the COVID-crisis on domestic violence against women and children was conducted by Steinert and Ebert (2020). A German-wide dark-field study on victimisation in general including domestic violence was conducted in 2020 with 46,000 participants by Birkel and colleages (2023).
In the beginning of 2023, Plan International published the results of a survey on “perceptions of masculinity in German society”. The figures on violence in partnerships are alarming, but confirm the experience of the victim protection organisations: 34% of the surveyed men say they sometimes get violent with women in order to gain their respect. For 33% men it is acceptable to occasionally put their hands on their partner during an argument. The full results (in German) can be found here: https://www.plan.de/fileadmin/website/04._Aktuelles/Umfragen_und_Berichte/Spannungsfeld_Maennlichkeit/Plan-Umfrage_Maennlichkeit-A4-2023-NEU-online_2.pdf
Literature and further reading on survey data
Baer, J., Kruber, A., Weller, K., Seedorf, Wiebke, Bathke, G.-W. & Voß, H.-J. (2023). Viktimisierungsstudie Sachsen (VisSa) – Studie zur Betroffenheit von Frauen durch sexualisierte Gewalt, häusliche/partnerschaftliche Gewalt und Stalking [Saxony Victimization Study (VisSa) – Study on how women are affected by sexualized violence, domestic/partner violence and stalking]. Merseburg: Hochschule Merseburg. https://www.medienservice.sachsen.de/medien/medienobjekte/586319/download
Birkel, C., Church, D., Erdmann, A., Hager, A. & Leitgöb-Guzy, N. (2023). Sicherheit und Kriminalität in Deutschland – SKiD 2020. Bundesweite Kernbefunde des Viktimisierungssurvey des Bundeskriminalamts und der Polizeien der Länder [Safety and crime in Germany – SKiD 2020. Nationwide core findings of the victimization survey of the Federal Criminal Police Office and the police forces of the federal states]. Bundeskriminalamt, Wiesbaden. https://www.bka.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Publikationen/Publikationsreihen/Forschungsergebnisse/SKiD2020_Ergebnisse_V1.4.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=24
BKA (2023). Häusliche Gewalt. Bundeslagebild 2022 [Domestic violence. Federal situation report 2022]. https://www.bka.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Publikationen/JahresberichteUndLagebilder/Partnerschaftsgewalt/Partnerschaftsgewalt_2018.html?nn=63476
Brzank, P., Hellbernd, H., Maschewsky-Schneider, U. & Kallischnigg, g. (2005). Domestic Violence against Women and supply needs. Interview results of women at a first-aid station [Häusliche Gewalt gegen Frauen und Versorgungsbedarf. Ergebnisse einer Befragung von Patientinnen einer Ersten Hilfe/Rettungsstelle]. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz 48.39: 337-345.
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights [FRA] (2014). Violence Against Women: An EU-wide Survey: Main Results (Dignity). https://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/fra-2014-vaw-survey-main-resultsapr14_en.pdf
Görgen, T., Herbst, S., & Rabold, S. (2009). Jenseits der Kriminalstatistik: Befund einer bundesweiten Opferwerdungsbefragung [Beyond crime statistics: Findings of a nationwide victimization survey]. In Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (ed.), “Sicherer Hafen” oder “gefahrvolle Zone”? Kriminalitäts- und Gewalterfahrungen im Leben alter Menschen. Ergebnisse einer mulitlethodalen Studie zu Gefährdungen älterer und pflegebedüftiger Menschen. https://www.bmfsfj.de/blob/94186/727885d90cc7178a738226f533bce61d/kriminalitaets-gewalterfahrungen-leben-alter-menschen-langfassung-data.pdf
Hellmann, D. F. (2014). Repräsentativbefragung zu Viktimisierungserfahrungen in Deutschland [Representative survey on victimization experiences in Germany]. Forschungsbericht Nr. 122. Hannover: Kriminiologisches Forschungsinstitut Niedersachsen. https://tobias-lib.ub.uni-tuebingen.de/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10900/85945/FB_122.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Hirsch, R. D. & Brendebach, C. (1999). Gewalt gegen alte Menschen in der Familie. Untersuchungsergebnisse der „Bonner HsM-Studie“ [Violence against elderly in families. Results of the “Bonner HsM-Study”]. Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie, 32(6), 449–455.
Jungnitz, L., Lenz, H. J., Puchert, R., Puhe, H., & Walter, W. (Eds.). (2007). Gewalt gegen Männer: Personale Gewaltwiderfahrnisse von Männern in Deutschland [Violence against men: men’s personal experiences of violence in Germany]. Berlin: Bundesministerium für Familie, Seniore, Frauen und Jugend. https://www.bmfsfj.de/blob/84664/d5410d1a3bcf2a015cc800331beed6d1/maennerstudie-kurzfassung-gewalt-data.pdf and https://www.bmfsfj.de/blob/84590/a3184b9f324b6ccc05bdfc83ac03951e/studie-gewalt-maenner-langfassung-data.pdf.
LKA Niedersachsen (2022). Befragung zu Sicherheit und Kriminalität in Niedersachsen 2021. Zusammenfassung der wesentlichen Ergebnisse zu Gewalt in (ehemaligen) Partnerschaften [Survey on safety and crime in Lower Saxony 2021. Summary of the key findings on violence in (former) partnerships]. https://www.mi.niedersachsen.de/download/189750/Anlage_1_Dunkelfeldstudie_2021_Zusammenfassung_Sondermodul.pdf.pdf
Müller, U., Schröttle, M., Hess, D., Prussog-Wagner, A. (2004). Lebenssituation, Sicherheit und Gesundheit von Frauen in Deutschland.[ Life situation, security and health of women in Germany]. BMFSJ (ed.) http://dx.doi.org/10.15496/publikation-4440 
Nägele, B., Kotlenga, S., Görgen, T., & Mauder, B. (2009). Ambivalente Nähe: Eine qualitative Interviewstudie zur Viktimisierung Pflegebedürftiger in häuslichen Pflegearrangements [Ambivalent nearness: A qualitative interview study on the victimisation of people requiring care in home care arrangements]. In Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (ed.), “Sicherer Hafen” oder “gefahrvolle Zone”? Kriminalitäts- und Gewalterfahrungen im Leben alter Menschen. Ergebnisse einer mulitlethodalen Studie zu Gefährdungen älterer und pflegebedüftiger Menschen. https://www.bmfsfj.de/blob/94186/727885d90cc7178a738226f533bce61d/kriminalitaets-gewalterfahrungen-leben-alter-menschen-langfassung-data.pdf
Nestlinger, J., Fischer, P., Jahn, S., Ihring, I., & Czelinski, F. (2017). Eine empirische Studie zu weiblicher Genitalverstümmelung in Deutschland. Daten – Zusammenhänge – Perspektiven. INTEGRA. https://www.netzwerk-integra.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Eine-empirische-Studie-zu-Genitalverstuemmelung-in-Deutschland.pdf
Puchert, R., Jungnitz, L., Schröttle, M., & Hornberg, C. (2013). Lebenssituation und Belastungen von Männern mit Behinderungen und Beeinträchtigungen in Deutschland – Haushaltsbefragung [Living situation and burdens of men with disabilities and impairments in Germany – household survey]. Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/15978747.pdf
Schröttle, M. & Ansorge, N. (2008). Gewalt gegen Frauen in Paarbeziehungen Eine sekundäranalytische Auswertung zur Differenzierung von Schweregraden, Mustern, Risikofaktoren und Unterstützung nach erlebter Gewalt [Violence against women in intimate relationships. Secondary analysis in order to differentiate severities, patterns, risk factors and support after experiencing violence]. Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend. https://www.bmfsfj.de/blob/93968/f832e76ee67a623b4d0cdfd3ea952897/gewalt-paarbeziehung-langfassung-data.pdf
Schröttle, M., Hornberg, C., Glammeier, S., Sellach, B., Kavemann, B., Puhe, H., & Zinsmeister, J. (2013). Lebenssituation und Belastungen von Frauen mit Beeinträchtigungen und Behinderungen in Deutschland [Life situation and burdens of women with impairments and disabilities in Germany]. Berlin: Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend. https://www.bmfsfj.de/blob/94206/1d3b0c4c545bfb04e28c1378141db65a/lebenssituation-und-belastungen-von-frauen-mit-behinderungen-langfassung-ergebnisse-der-quantitativen-befragung-data.pdf
Steinert, J., & Ebert, C. (2020). Häusliche Gewalt während der Corona-Pandemie. Erste große Studie zu Erfahrungen von Frauen und Kindern in Deutschland [Domestic violence during the corona pandemic. First major study on the experiences of women and children in Germany]. https://www.tum.de/aktuelles/alle-meldungen/pressemitteilungen/details?no_cache=1&tx_news_pi1%5baction%5d=detail&tx_news_pi1%5bcontroller%5d=News&tx_news_pi1%5bnews%5d=36053
Wetzels, P. & Pfeiffer, C. (1995). Sexuelle Gewalt gegen Frauen im öffentlichen Raum. Ergebnisse der KFN-Opferbefragung 1992 [Sexualized Violence against women in the public. Results of the KFN-victim survey 1992]. https://ub01.uni-tuebingen.de/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10900/84203/FB_37.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Further reading
Lüdtke, J. & Lamnek, S. (2002). Schläge in jeder dritten Familie [Beatings in every third family]. AGORA Magazin der Katholischen Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, 18(1), 8-9
Müller, U., Schröttle, M. L., Hess, D., & Prussog-Wagner, A. L. (2004). Lebenssituation, Sicherheit und Gesundheit von Frauen in Deutschland. Eine repräsentative Untersuchung zur Gewalt gegen Frauen in Deutschland. Zusammenfassung zentraler Studienergebnisse [Life situation, safety and health of women in Germany. A representative study on violence against women in Germany. Summary of central study results]. Berlin: Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (BMFSFJ, Hrg.). http://dx.doi.org/10.15496/publikation-4440
2. Costs of domestic violence
Prof. Dr. Sylvia Sacco presented the first Germany-wide domestic violence cost study (Sacco, Sylvia: Häusliche Gewalt Kostenstudie für Deutschland, Gewalt gegen Frauen in (ehemaligen) Partnerschaften, 2017). The study, which compiles direct and indirect costs, comes to a total cost of at least 3.8 billion euros per year. The cost per person of working age is 74 euros per year. The costs were collected in three different categories. So-called directly tangible costs (€ 1,043.8 million), which are incurred, for example, through police operations, court hearings, support offers or in the healthcare sector, are offset by indirectly tangible costs (€ 2,756.5 million) such as unemployment or trauma costs for children. In addition, intangible costs are under discussion, to which no direct monetary equivalent can be assigned, and which arise in addition to the reported costs. This also includes the loss of quality of life due to illness.
https://www.b-tu.de/news/artikel/13210-kosten-haeuslicher-gewalt-in-deutschland/
3. Age distribution of domestic violence
The crime statistics show to what extent violence in intimate relationships became known to the police. It depicts exclusively the police bright field and is thus strongly influenced by the reporting behaviour of the population.
The current crime statistics analysis on intimate partner violence by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA, 2023) shows that a total of 157,818 people were victims of intimate partner violence in 2022. This is an increase of 9.1% compared to 2021. 126,349 (80.1%) victims were female and 31,469 (19.9%) male.
The statistics recorded the following attempted or completed crimes:
- Intentional, simple assault: 93,546 (59.3%)
- Dangerous bodily harm: 18,509 (11.7%)
- Threat, stalking, coercion: 38,227 (24.2%)
- Sexual assault and rape: 3,982 (2.5%)
- Deprivation of liberty: 1,810 (1,3%)
- Murder and homicide: 390 (0.2%)
Of the 157,818 victims of intimate partner violence, most were recorded as victims of intentional actual bodily harm (93,546), followed by threats, stalking and coercion (38,227), and aggravated bodily harm or assault resulting in death (18,582 in total). Furthermore, 3,982 victims of sexual assault, sexual coercion and rape, and 1,810 victims of deprivation of liberty were recorded.
A total of 390 persons were recorded as victims of murder and homicide (0.2%). The number of victims in completed murder and homicide was 142, of which 126 were female and 16 male. In addition, there were seven cases of bodily harm resulting in death due to intimate partner violence in which women were victims and three cases with male victims. Thus, 133 women and 19 men were victims of intimate partner violence resulting in death.
In addition, the BKA (2023) statistic shows the following age distribution of male and female victims of domestic violence in 2022:
| No. of male victims | No. of female victims | |
| Victim’s age up to 20 | 1,123 | 10,137 |
| Victim’s age 21-24 | 2,337 | 13,901 |
| Victim’s age 25-29 | 3,917 | 19,247 |
| Victim’s age 30-39 | 10,309 | 43,221 |
| Victim’s age 40-49 | 7,182 | 24,960 |
| Victim’s age 50-59 | 4,160 | 9,838 |
| Victim’s age 60+ | 2,438 | 5,045 |
146,555 (92.9%) victims were adults (aged 21 and over), of whom 116,212 (79.3%) were women and 30,343 (20.7%) men. Victims of the 30- to 39-year-old age group (53,530 people; 36.5%) were most frequently affected, followed by those in the 40- to 49-year-old age group (32,142 people; 21.9%). As the age groups are sorted in ascending order, the percentage of female victims gradually decreases (<21: 90.0%; 21 <25: 85.6%; 25 <30: 83.1%, 30 <40: 80.7%; 40 < 50: 77.6%; 50 <60: 70.3%; from 60: 67.4%).
BKA (2023). Häusliche Gewalt. Bundeslagebild 2022 [Domestic violence. Federal situation report 2022]. https://www.bka.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Publikationen/JahresberichteUndLagebilder/Partnerschaftsgewalt/Partnerschaftsgewalt_2018.html?nn=63476
The European Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) published the study “Violence against women. An EU-wide survey” in 2014. For this study, around 42,000 women between the ages of 18 and 74 were interviewed about their experiences with violence in the 28 member states. In Germany there were 1,534 women. Around one in three women said they had experienced physical and/or sexual violence at least once since they were 16 years old.
- Experience of physical and/or sexual violence by a partner in the past 12 months before the interview
- Age group 18-29: yes = 4%; no = 96%
- Age group 30-39: yes = 6%; no = 94%
- Age group 40-49: yes = 4%; no = 96%
- Age group 50-59: yes = 3%; no = 97%
- Age group 60+: yes = 1%; no = 99%
- Experience of controlling behaviour by a partner since the age of 15
- Age group 18-29: yes = 41%; no = 59%
- Age group 30-39: yes = 52%; no = 48%
- Age group 40-49: yes = 44%; no = 56%
- Age group 50-59: yes = 37%; no = 63%
- Age group 60+: yes = 30%; no = 70%
- Experience of economic violence by a partner since the age of 15
- Age group 18-29: yes = 6%; no = 94%
- Age group 30-39: yes = 12%; no = 88%
- Age group 40-49: yes = 12%; no = 88%
- Age group 50-59: yes = 13%; no = 87%
- Age group 60+: yes = 10%; no = 90%
- Experience of psychological abuse which involved abusive behaviour by a partner since the age of 15
- Age group 18-29: yes = 34%; no = 66%
- Age group 30-39: yes = 41%; no = 59%
- Age group 40-49: yes = 44%; no = 56%
- Age group 50-59: yes = 40%; no = 60%
- Age group 60+: yes = 32%; no = 68%
The study by Hellmann (2014) – a representative survey about experiences with victimization in Germany shows the following data:
Table 1: Lifetime prevalence of experiencing domestic violence by a partner
| Female & male victims | |
| Victim’s age 16-20 | 0,6% |
| Victim’s age 21-30 | 2,2% |
| Victim’s age 31-40 | 3,9% |
Table 2: Lifetime prevalence of experiencing stalking
| Female & male victims | |
| Victim’s age 16-20 | 11,5% |
| Victim’s age 21-30 | 16,2% |
| Victim’s age 31-40 | 15,6% |
Hellmann, D. F. (2014). Repräsentativbefragung zu Viktimisierungserfahrungen in Deutschland [Representative survey on victimization experiences in Germany]. Forschungsbericht Nr. 122. Hannover: Kriminiologisches Forschungsinstitut Niedersachsen. https://tobias-lib.ub.uni-tuebingen.de/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10900/85945/FB_122.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
4. Number of deaths
The current crime statistical analysis on intimate partner violence by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA, 2023) shows that in 2022 248 persons fell prey to attempted and 142 to realised murder or homicide. In addition, 10 persons died from assault resulting in death. Thus, in total, 133 women and 19 men died in 2022 at the hands of their (ex-)partners.
BKA (2023). Häusliche Gewalt. Bundeslagebild 2022 [Domestic violence. Federal situation report 2022]. https://www.bka.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Publikationen/JahresberichteUndLagebilder/Partnerschaftsgewalt/Partnerschaftsgewalt_2018.html?nn=63476