Solutions to violence in Mississippi evident in UMMC research efforts

Violence is part of life for many Mississippians from cradle to grave, according to a survey done in part by researchers at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, but findings point to solutions already underway.

Findings of a survey conducted in 2025 showed half of all adults in Mississippi – or about 1.1 million people – reported having experienced physical violence in their lifetime. More than 20% reported exposure to gun violence. About 12.5% reported experiencing physical violence before age 13.

The Mississippi Violence Experiences Survey is a collaboration between UMMC’s Mississippi Center for Violence Research and Tulane University’s Newcomb Institute. Part of a larger, four-state effort, the survey is the most comprehensive, population-based assessment to date of Mississippians’ experiences with physical violence, sexual violence and intimate partner violence across the lifespan.

Sexual violence, including harassment, coercion, and assault, is widespread, particularly among women, researchers noted. Other findings include:

• More than half of Mississippi women – more than 600,000 – report lifetime experiences of sexual harassment or assault, as do more than one in four Mississippi men.
• Nearly one in four women report having experienced forced sex.
• One in 10 Mississippi adults experienced sexual violence in childhood, with higher prevalence among women than men.
• In the past year alone, one in 12 adults experienced sexual violence, most often sexual harassment.

Efforts to combat those trends began in earnest in 2022 with a renewed focus on substance abuse and intimate partner violence in the Mississippi’s Moms Initiative, said Dr. Lei Zhang, principal investigator of the initiative and associate dean for research and scholarship in the School of Nursing.

“The initiative promotes screening, treatment and training that addresses how substance abuse and intimate partner violence often intersect for pregnant and postnatal women,” Zhang said. “We have training available for case managers, peer support specialists, law enforcement officers and anyone else who works with those affected by those situations.”

Zhang also leads the Mississippi Violence Injury Prevention program, which supports collaborative research and initiatives led by the community that help to reduce gun violence in Mississippi. Since June, 57 patients in a clinical trial were evaluated at UMMC for gunshot wounds. The trial involves three community-sourced interventions: direct cash assistance, community-based violence interruption services for patients enrolled in the trial and support for existing community events related to violence and safety across the city of Jackson. 

“Part of the trial has also involved a community event support services intervention that has engaged with more than 200 Jackson residents at community events,” Zhang said.

The survey showed intimate partner violence affects more than half of Mississippi adults over a lifetime, including about 700,000 women and 530,000 men. The subject covers coercive control as well as physical and sexual assaults. One in four Mississippi women has experienced potentially lethal forms of partner violence, such as choking, beating, burning or use of a weapon.

The study also highlighted violence and economic hardship. One in three Mississippians lacked enough money for food or basic needs in the past year, and those experiencing economic deprivation were two to three times more likely to experience recent physical violence, sexual violence or intimate partner violence.

Housing instability sharply increased risk as well. Mississippians who experienced eviction or homelessness in the past year were three to six times more likely to experience violence.

Violence exposure was also strongly linked to mental health outcomes. Adults who experienced violence in the past year were more than twice as likely to report severe depression or anxiety. Those experiencing intimate partner violence were four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts.

“These findings tell us that violence in Mississippi is not rare – it is widespread and deeply connected to economic and mental health conditions,” said Anita Raj, executive director of the Newcomb Institute. “For women, violence often comes from a partner, and it can be life-threatening. The data underscore the need for prevention, economic stability and mental health support to be treated as core public health priorities.”

The broader initiative by the Newcomb Institute aims to provide state-specific, population-level data on violence across the lifespan to support evidence-based decision-making.