One in ten gen Z report emotional abuse from partner in early 20s

31 March 2026

One in ten (11%) members of gen Z have reported emotional abuse and 3% have experienced violence from a partner in the past year.

The new UCL research finds unwanted sexual approaches and sexual assault are more common among gen Z at age 23 than during their late teens, especially among young adults who have attended university.

A quarter of females have experienced sexual harassment, and one in seven have experienced emotional abuse from their partner. More young people have been stopped by police and been cautioned or arrested by age 23 than by age 17, but rates of physical assault and assault with a weapon are down.

Early brushes with the justice system or experiences of victimisation can have long-term impacts on young adults’ chances in life.

Dr Aase Villadsen, Research Fellow

Lead author, Dr Aase Villadsen (UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies) said: ”These latest insights from gen Z at age 23 paint a mixed picture of young adults’ experiences of crime, assault and abuse in the UK today. Early brushes with the justice system or experiences of victimisation can have long-term impacts on young adults’ chances in life, shaping health, mental health and wellbeing, as well as their education and employment.”

Researchers from the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies analysed data from 10,000 people born across the UK in 2000-02 who are taking part in the Millennium Cohort Study. At age 23, study participants were asked to report on their experiences of crime and the criminal justice system, and if they had ever been a victim of assault, abuse or violence. The study’s authors compared these data with earlier reports taken at age 17.

Reports of victimisation

One in six reported unwanted sexual approaches (16%) and one in 20 experienced sexual assault (5%) at age 23, up from 13% and 3% respectively at age 17. Young people who attended university were twice as likely to report an unwanted sexual approach than their peers (22% v 11%).

A fifth reported having been stopped by the police at some point in their life, compared with 16% at age 17. One in ten 23-year-olds had been cautioned or arrested, up from around 7% by 17. Appearances in court as an accused also rose significantly, from 0.3% to 2.5% by age 17 and 23 respectively. However, reports of being physically assaulted – being pushed, hit, slapped or punched – declined substantially with age, with 11% of 23-year-olds reporting this compared with 24% at 17. Being a victim of assault by a weapon in the past year was also less common.

Differences by sex

The study’s authors found that experiences of crime, assault and abuse varied for different groups. Males were significantly more likely to be involved in crime and had more interactions with the criminal justice system than females. In contrast, females were more likely to experience unwanted sexual approaches, sexual assault, violence and emotional abuse from a partner.

People’s educational background was strongly linked to their experiences of crime and victimisation. Individuals who had not attended university were more likely to have been stopped by the police, been cautioned or arrested and appeared in court. They were also more likely to have been assaulted and experienced violence from their partner.

Young adults in Northern Ireland reported the highest rates of being stopped by the police (27%), with much lower rates in Scotland (20%), England and Wales (18%). By contrast, court appearances were less common in Northern Ireland than in the other nations.

Dr Villadsen added: “Across the population, levels of experiencing assault and assault with a weapon have decreased since this group were in their late teens. However, marked differences by sex, education, and region point to persistent inequalities that policymakers must keep in mind. Rates of weapon carrying and assault by a weapon are still too high among groups that tend to be from more socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Worryingly, unwanted sexual harassment and sexual assault have become much more common, especially for females.

“These disparities raise questions about fairness, prevention, and the adequacy of existing policies and support systems. Policymakers and practitioners should consider how interventions can be better tailored to different groups. These findings speak directly to the Government’s ‘Safer Streets’ mission—which aims to halve knife crime within a decade—and to the national strategy on violence against women and girls, which has set the same ambition.”

If you are affected by the issues in this research and need support:

If you need help and support for domestic violence, women can call The Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge on 0808 2000 247. Men can call the Respect Men’s Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 or visit the webchat at Men’s Advice Line.

Whether you’re concerned about yourself or a loved one, you can find local NHS urgent mental health helplines and a list of mental health charities, organisations and support groups offering expert advice, on the NHS website at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/.

When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.