What is the relationship between drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence? The relationship between alcohol or other substance abuse and domestic violence is very complicated. A prevailing myth about domestic violence is that alcohol and drugs are the major causes of domestic abuse. In reality, some abusers rely on substance use (and abuse) as an excuse for becoming violent. Alcohol allows the abuser to justify their abusive behavior as a result of the alcohol. While an abuser’s use of alcohol may have an effect on the severity of the abuse or the ease with which the abuser can justify their actions, an abuser does not become violent “because” drinking causes them to lose control of his/her temper. Many statistics show that the batterers have the tendency to use Methamphetamine and Crack cocaine as their drug of choice. When taking these drugs it is proven that they can cause the batterer to be alert, paranoia and a variety of other unpredictable and adverse reactions. They can also cause people to become irrational, excited, agitated and become unable to control anger or violent impulses within seconds. Many cases that have been reported to the police have shown that the abuser has had some type of drug and alcohol in their system during their dispute. Research has it that the female group is the one that becomes victimized the most and there are several strategies that have been put into place to culminate this issue of violence at home, more especially against women.
Although we lost Ellen Pence, a woman who changed how domestic violence is addressed, in 2012, there are many lives that are being saved to this day because of her work. Ellen Pence found her calling in 1977 when she began working for the Minneapolis Housing Authority that helped individuals relocate with housing complications (StarTribune, 2010). It was then that she immersed herself through domestic violence cases and set the standard for addressing these cases. Ellen Pence is especially known for establishing the Duluth Program, a program that address batterers in the court systems, and Praxis Training, which are training on addressing domestic violence for law enforcement, advocates, community agencies, and institutions. Pence’s 35 years of service change the way domestic violence cases were handled, educated key players in domestic violence cases, and showed the world what it was like to be a victim of domestic abuse. Without her efforts, many individuals in power addressing these cases would be lost and those to who are victims would not be understood as they are today.
One of the major efforts of the domestic violence movement, from the beginning, has been to debunk commonly believed stereotypes and myths about domestic violence. This is important because an accurate awareness of the issue cannot occur within society if the general public believes that domestic violence is a problem that only affects certain groups of people and is therefore not in need of attention since it is not that common. In addition, one of the easiest ways to acquire an overall understanding of the basic elements of domestic violence is to debunk commonly believed stereotypes. For example, it is commonly believed that domestic violence only affects certain populations. As mentioned above, domestic violence occurs across all cultures, religions, ethnicities, income levels, sexual orientations, age groups, and education levels. Another myth is that domestic violence is not a common or serious problem when in fact, in the United States, a woman is battered every 9 seconds (NCVC, 2008). Another myth is that domestic violence is caused by substance abuse. In fact, many batterers abuse alcohol or drugs, but it is not an excuse for their
“Domestic Violence Has Been a Problem Throughout U.S History” and “Prevalence of Domestic Violence in the United States” discusses what contributes to domestic violence. The authors of “Prevalence of Domestic Violence in the United States” provide an informative article about the seriousness of domestic violence. The authors point out that frequent alcohol use contributes to an increase in violence. The have been several studies that indicate a relationship between domestic abuse and the use of alcohol. The author states, “The research indicates that a high percentage of those who engage in marital violence are alcoholics or at least very
Support groups for alcohol addiction place an emphasis on being “powerless,” further reinforcing an excuse often made by abusers in family violence situations (Al-Anon, 2008). This idea can also serve to increase the feelings of hopelessness experienced by victims. When taught to victims of domestic violence, placing the blame of abuse on use of the substance as opposed to the abuser serves to contradict the message of the abuser’s responsibility for the behaviors (Chartas & Culbreth,
Domestic violence is a devastating social problem that impacts every sector of our population. Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner(USDOJ,2012). Domestic violence can be physical, economic, emotional, sexual, or psychological. Physical domestic violence is an attempt to impose physical injury such as grabbing, slapping, hitting, biting, etc. Physical violence can also be withholding necessary resources to sustain health such as medication, food, sleep, or forcing alcohol or other drug use. Economic abuse is an attempt to make the victim financially dependent. Such as sustaining control over financial resources
One dominant attribute of domestic violence is the rate of recurrence for substance use or abuse in domestic violence incidents. Researchers have determined that there is an extremely high correlation between the use of these substances and domestic assaults. Research endorsed by the National Institute of Justice has established that
Females are the most highly affected by domestic abuse according to studies done around the world. Typically aggressive behavior at home is frequently more than simply physical misuse. It involves sexual, enthusiastic, monetary and mental savagery. At first, recognizing the indications of an injurious relationship can be troublesome, particularly if the abuser utilizes inconspicuous strategies to pick up force and control. It is normal for survivors to perceive the start of the misuse as the first run through when the abusers hit them, yet truly the cycle of violence may have begun at an opportune time in the relationship. Culprits have a tendency to fascinate and be exceptionally persuading when applying power and control strategies. People
Many people who seek domestic violence services, and even more who do not seek services, are dealing with substance abuse issues as well as abuse. The reasons that domestic violence victims begin their substance abuse vary, but can include: use as a coping mechanism in order to survive the abusive situation, a way to deal with abuse of the past, coercion and by an abusive partner, chemical dependency, cultural oppression or a new sense of freedom (Bland & Edmund, 2005).
Researchers Smith, Homish, Leonard, and Cornelius admit that it is well known that a risk factor for intimate partner violence is substance use. (2012) However, we have a very limited understanding of the association between specific substance use and intimate partner violence. These researchers set out to bring about a deeper understanding of this. For the purpose of this study, researchers examined intimate partner violence in the presence of alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, and opioid use, as well as poly-substance use of alcohol and cocaine and alcohol and marijuana. (Smith, et al., 2012) Further, this study looked at substance use and intimate partner violence and differentiated between perpetration and victimization. Alcohol and cocaine use disorders were highly associated with intimate partner perpetration whereas cannabis and opioid use disorders were more highly associated with intimate partner victimization. (Smith, et al., 2012) Individuals diagnosed with both an alcohol use disorder and a cannabis use disorder were reported to have a lower likelihood of intimate partner perpetration compared to having the diagnosis of any one substance use disorder. Having a poly-substance use disorder with the combination of alcohol and cocaine increased the likelihood of an individual to perpetrate intimate partner violence. However, if you remove the diagnosis of alcohol use disorder and only have a cocaine use disorder, the
These include federal domestic violence laws and law enforcement measures. Common intervention strategies include batterer intervention programs, arrest, protection order, court intervention, and prosecution. Even though, increased warrantless arrests, firearm confiscation, prosecution, and financial aids to families with dependent children were associated with a decreased rate of domestic violence, research shows that some chronically aggressive intimate partners continue to abuse their partner regardless of the interventions. Furthermore, understanding demographic differences among victims and abusers including race and education level, can help to predict which intervention will work best for specific groups (National Institute of Justice, 2007). According to Bradford and el‘s opinion regarding the Criminal Justice System’s response to domestic violence, there is a need for service provider and policy makers to provide preventive interventions. The policies should provide crucial skills, attitudes, and knowledge that give partners a better chance of developing and sustaining a healthy mutual satisfying couple relationship” (Bradford & el, 2015). According to research documentation (women's health magazine, 2013), despite the above measures by the state government, the prevalence of the abuse persists. Furthermore, measures against physiological/ verbal
More recently, studies looking at abuse against women in the U.S., such as the 1996 National Violence Against Women (NVAW) Survey, seek to understand both women’s and men’s experiences with violence. The survey along with a report from the National Institute of Health (NIH)’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism discovered violence against women has grown exponentially in the past 20 years, especially in the area of intimate partner violence and sexual assault (Tjaden 2000 and Abbey). More specifically, the research done by the NIH focused primarily on male violence while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, suggesting that a majority of violent acts involve drugs and alcohol in settings where they are commonly found, such as college campuses and perhaps on dates. Other studies focus more on verbal harassment in the workplace
There are several characteristics of abusers. Abusers can be anyone from your parents to your children. Many times abusers have issues that haven’t been resolved. Some of the abuse results from being abused or it comes from social problems. Regardless of the situation abuse is never okay and should be handled accordingly. This essay will cover the characteristics of abusers of domestic violence and what roles substance abuse plays in domestic violence. One characteristic of an abuser is destroying an individual’s property and the things they care about. When an abuser feels like an individual is going to leave the abuse, the abuser will sometimes feel threatened and start trashing their items in their house. It is a way of controlling the situation and trying to make it work out in their favor. Another characteristic is the way an abuser controls everything in one’s life their money, who that individual talks to, and if that person works. Controlling behaviors from abusive persons can get to the point where the individual may feel that they don’t have control over their own life or allowed to do anything due to fear of upsetting the abuser. An abuser may not want the person to work or make more money than them. According to text “Controlling a person’s employment by trying to get him or her fired, making excessive calls to work, or creating scenes are examples of efforts to control the victim’s financial situation and force dependence”
Underreported and underestimated, domestic abuse rips families apart every single day. Domestic violence comes in mainly five different forms, physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, and economic. This violence ruins families, demoralizes the victims, and the public downplays the household terrorism that goes on every day. Generally thought of as taboo, the public belittles and humorizes domestic abuse as a way to deal with it, that avoidance must come to an end.
In this paper I will be addressing the correlation that is between substance abuse and domestic violence. There are many factors that play a role in why domestic violence occurs in a home; this paper will be focusing on the factor of drug abuse in particularly. Early on in the course we learned that domestic violence does not only pertain to intimate partner violence but also to child abuse, elder abuse, and any other abuse of a person that occurs with inside the home. I will be providing research from scholarly journals that support the findings that substance abuse is related to domestic violence on all levels (intimate partner violence, child abuse, and elderly abuse).
In today’s society, it is very common to find domestic abuse in households, but not much is being done to stop it. After researching the various causes of domestic violence, one can conclude that there are many reasons that may have triggered the abuser’s sudden need to have the upper hand. Unemployment, drug or alcohol abuse, extreme jealously, or feeling inferior to their partner’s education level or occupational status are just a few factors which may lead to one’s violent outrage. Also, in most cases an intergenerational cycle of domestic violence can be the main cause of the abuser’s