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How often do you get into physical fights?

If you're like 83% of Americans, the answer is "never." Only 4% of Americans say they get into fights either once a week or more (1%), once or twice a month (1%), or a few times a year (2%), while 13% say they get into fights rarely. Men are slightly more likely than women to say they get into fights at least once per year (5% vs. 3%), but large majorities say they never fight among both men (77%) and women (88%).

Americans are more likely to say people they know get into fights: 34% of U.S. adults, including 41% of men and 28% of women, say people they know at least occasionally get into physical fights. That compares to 17% of Americans, 23% of men, and 12% of women who say they occasionally get into fights themselves.

While only 17% of Americans say they ever get into physical fights now, 58% say they sometimes fought when growing up. That includes 7% who say they had fights at least once a month while growing up, 13% who fought a few times a year, and 38% who say they got into fights rarely.

Men are more likely than women to say they ever fought when growing up (72% vs. 44%).

Younger men are less likely than older men to say they sometimes got into physical fights as kids. 78% of men 65 and older say they sometimes fought as kids, compared to 61% of men under 30. Older men aren't more likely than younger men to say they fought often growing up; to the contrary, 11% of men under 30 say they got into fights at least once per month, compared to 5% among men 65 and older. However, older men are more likely than younger men to say they occasionally got into fights.

Among women, however, having never fought as kids is no more common among younger generations. There is even a slight age gap in the other direction: 62% of women 65 and older say they never fought while growing up, compared to 54% of younger women.

YouGov also asked Americans about a hypothetical scenario in which a young man in their local area was publicly disrespected. If the man walked away instead of fighting, did Americans think he would be viewed positively or negatively in their community?

Americans are most likely to say this young man would be viewed positively: 49% say that, while only 8% say he would be viewed negatively for walking away, for a difference of 41 points. Another 18% say "neither," and 25% aren't sure.

But men are less likely than women to say the non-fighting young man would be viewed positively: 45% of men say he would be viewed positively and 10% say negatively, a 36-point margin, while 53% of women say "positively" and 7% "negatively" for a 46-point margin.

This holds true among men and women of all ages, and among white, Black, and Hispanic men and women.

White Americans and older Americans are more likely to say not fighting would cause a young man to be viewed positively than are younger Americans or Black or Hispanic Americans.

Americans who say the non-fighting young man would be viewed negatively are more likely to know people who get into fights at least occasionally than are those who say he'd be viewed positively (51% vs. 32%).

See the full results of this poll:

Methodology: The Daily Questions survey was conducted online on March 5 - 6, 2026, among 8,755 U.S. adults. The samples were weighted according to gender, age, race, education, U.S. census region, and political party. The margin of error is approximately 1%.

Image: Getty (South_agency)

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