Substance Use and Family Violence

Substance use is not considered a cause of domestic violence, and in fact, many batterers are violent when not intoxicated. Many also continue to batter after successfully completing substance treatment and while remaining abstinent from substances.
Substance use is, however, significantly related to the increased risk, severity and even lethality of intimate partner violence. Further, substance use is also significant in other forms of family violence such as child abuse and neglect.

Research has shown that perpetrators of domestic violence are frequently under the influence of alcohol or other drugs during an episode of violence. In fact, regular alcohol use is considered to be one of the high risk factors in determining the potential for an incident of partner violence. Additionally, an incident of violence in which the perpetrator is abusing alcohol frequently results in more severe violence and greater harm to the victim. The US Department of Justice found in a 1994 study that more than half of the lethal incidents of domestic violence involved alcohol use by the perpetrator during the homicide.  Other studies have even shown an overall increase in rates of violence in the community when there is a higher density of stores selling alcohol.

Many men who receive services to prevent battering are also referred to concurrent treatment for substance use disorders. It is estimated that over 60% of all batterers also have substance use disorders. This dual problem can greatly complicate effective treatment for domestic violence. Frequently men who victimize their intimate partners will blame their own intoxication for their violent behavior. They may also blame their partners for causing them to use substances. This perpetuates a lack of responsibility on the batterers’ part for both the violence and substance use. Consequently, denial continues for both the violence and substance problems decreasing the likelihood of stopping either.

Victims of domestic violence who also use substances often remain in violent relationships. The progressive nature of intimate partner violence increases these women’s chances of being battered more frequently and more severely the longer they stay. Batterers who live with women who use substances often justify their violence as a way to cope with the woman’s out-of-control behavior. In such situations the cycle of violence also cannot be successfully addressed because the batterer will not assume responsibility for his violence. Additionally, the risk for domestic violence increases when both partners are abusing substances.

Substance use is also significantly correlated with other forms of family violence such as the physical and sexual abuse of children. Children in homes where parents use substances are especially vulnerable to being abused, neglected and not protected. These children are vulnerable to abuse and neglect by parents as well as abuse by individuals outside the home. Consequently, they have a greater incidence of physical, sexual and emotional abuse than in families with sober parents. The majority of child abuse cases are associated with the use of substances.

Family violence is also correlated with future substance use. For example, women who abuse alcohol report a greater incident of childhood physical and sexual abuse than women who do not abuse alcohol. The majority of women in substance abuse treatment programs — including addiction to substances other than alcohol — report some form of abuse in childhood