A UC Berkeley study of California hospital data reveals persistent racial disparities and the higher risks faced by Black, multiracial and Indigenous women.
Black women under age 65 were at the highest risk of violence, according to a new UC Berkeley analysis of California hospital data. Across all ages, assault injury rates among Black women were 3.8 times those of white women.
May 26, 2026 – By Jason Pohly – Rates of violence against women have remained largely unchanged in California for nearly two decades, with Black and multiracial women facing the highest risks, a sweeping new analysis by UC Berkeley public health researchers has found.
Black women under age 65 were at the highest risk of violence, researchers found. Across all ages, assault injury rates among Black women were 3.8 times those of white women. Notably, the group at greatest risk of violence over age 65 shifted to multiracial women, signaling how vulnerability evolves throughout one’s life…