New data from Refuge, the largest UK domestic abuse organisation, has shown a “disturbing rise” in domestic abuse among young women and girls aged between 16 - 25, particularly involving psychological abuse, coercive control, and physical violence.

Young women made up 16% of Refuge’s new referrals in 2024/25, the equivalent of nearly 3, 000 people.

Of those 16-25 year olds who accessed Refuge’s longer-term services, psychological abuse was the most commonly reported form of harm, affecting 73% of young women. Psychological abuse is behaviour that aims to cause emotional or mental harm.

49% said their perpetrator had threatened to harm them, and a further 35% said their abuser had threatened to kill them.

Among the 62% who had reported suffering from physical violence, half of them said they had been strangled or suffocated.

The numbers are increasing year on year, with threats to harm increasing by 9% compared to last year, and threats to kill by 3%.

Refuge says more needs to be taught in schools about healthy relationships, and to help young people recognise warning signs – especially less visible forms of abuse such as coercive control.

Only a quarter of UK adults are aware that 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, and awareness is particularly low among young people.