Economic Hardship Tied to Increased Violence Across California, UC San Diego Study Shows

Story by:

• Inga Kiderra - [email protected]

Topics covered:

• CalVEX Survey
• Violence Experience
• Vulnerability

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Economic instability - including job loss, food insecurity, eviction and homelessness - is strongly associated with higher rates of violence among California adults, according to a new statewide survey led by the University of California San Diego.

The findings come from the 2025 California Violence Experiences Survey (CalVEX). The new report provides a comprehensive picture of how violence is experienced across the state, including forms of violence that often go unreported in official data.

Adults who experienced economic shocks in the past year were significantly more likely to report physical, sexual and intimate partner violence. For example, Californians who experienced homelessness were about five times more likely to report physical violence in the past year, while those facing food insecurity were about four times more likely. Similar patterns were observed for sexual violence (16% vs 7%) and intimate partner violence (15% vs 4%).

"Violence is not occurring in isolation," said Jakana Thomas, co-principal investigator of CalVEX and holder of the MacArthur Foundation Chair in International Justice and Human Rights in the School of Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego. "It is closely tied to whether people have stable housing, enough food and the basic conditions needed to get by."

The CalVEX survey, fielded in May and June 2025, includes responses from more than 4,000 adults across California.

Overall, the data show that violence remains widespread. More than half of California adults have experienced physical violence in their lifetimes, and an estimated 7% - more than 2 million people - experienced physical violence in the past year. Levels of violence remain elevated statewide.

Gender-based violence also remains a significant concern. About 1 in 11 Californians experienced sexual violence in the past year, and 1 in 17 experienced intimate partner violence. Gender non-conforming individuals faced the highest rates across multiple measures, with 49% reporting sexual violence in the past year.

"Despite significant investments in prevention, we're not seeing substantial declines," said Thomas, who is a professor both in UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy and the Department of Political Science in the School of Social Sciences. "These findings point to the need to look more closely at the underlying conditions - including economic instability - that continue to put people at risk."

The findings also highlight the broader impacts of violence on health and well-being. Individuals who experienced violence in the past year were significantly more likely to report depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and substance use.

"Vulnerability to violence is connected to the broader conditions in which people live," said co-PI Anita Raj, executive director of the Newcomb Institute at Tulane University. "Addressing it requires a public health approach that considers not just individual behavior, but the economic and social environments shaping people's lives."

The full report is available on the VEXData website, along with related briefs.

The study was conducted by researchers at UC San Diego and Tulane University, with support from the Blue Shield of California Foundation and in collaboration with Valor, Raliance and the California Department of Public Health.

A webinar discussing the findings, hosted by Valor and featuring Thomas and Raj, is scheduled for April 30.

A national survey of violence experiences across the United States is expected later this year.