More than 1 million women reported being raped in a year and over 6 million women and men were victims of stalking in a year, according to a new government survey.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released results of a survey on Wednesday which finds that on average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States. That figure accounts for more than 12 million women and men each year.

“This landmark report paints a clear picture of the devastating impact these violent acts have on the lives of millions of Americans,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a statement.

“The information collected in this ongoing survey will serve as a vital tool in the Administration′s efforts to combat domestic violence and sexual abuse. And the report underscores the importance of our Administration’s work to combat domestic violence and sexual assault.”

The survey is called the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey 2010.

Key findings include:

Women:

  • High rates of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence were reported by women.
  • Nearly 1 in 5 women has been raped at some time in her life.
  • One in 4 women has been a victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in her lifetime.
  • One in 6 women has experienced stalking victimization during her lifetime in which she felt very fearful or believed that she or someone close to her would be harmed or killed. Much of stalking victimization was facilitated by technology, such as unwanted phone calls and text messages.
  • Almost 70 percent of female victims experienced some form of intimate partner violence for the first time before the age of 25.
  • Approximately 80 percent of female victims of rape were first raped before age 25.
  • Female victims of violence (sexual violence, stalking, intimate partner violence) were significantly more likely to report physical and mental health problems than female non–victims.
  • Across all forms of violence (sexual violence, stalking, intimate partner violence), the vast majority of victims knew their perpetrator (often an intimate partner or acquaintance and seldom a stranger).

Men:

  • About 1 in 7 men has experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime.
  • One in 19 men has experienced stalking victimization at some point during their lifetime in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.
  • Almost 53 percent of male victims experienced some form of intimate partner violence for the first time before age of 25.
  • More than one-quarter of male rape victims were first raped when they were 10 years old or younger.
  • Male victims of violence (sexual violence, stalking, intimate partner violence) were significantly more likely to report physical and mental health problems than male non-victims.

“These forms of violence take the largest toll on women, who are more likely to report immediate impacts and long-term health problems caused by their victimization,” said Linda C. Degutis, Dr.P.H., M.S.N., director of CDC′s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

“Much victimization begins early in life, but the consequences can last a lifetime.”

The findings also suggest that violence is a major public health burden and can have impacts that last a lifetime indicating that female victims of violence had a significantly higher prevalence of long-term health problems, including irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, frequent headaches, chronic pain, asthma, and difficulty sleeping.

Howard Spivak, M.D., director of Center’s Division of Violence Prevention says prevention efforts need to begin before the violence starts.

The CDC’s NISVS provides information that can help inform policies and programs aimed at preventing violence. The information can be found at www.cdc.gov.