What Is The Relationship Between Alcohol And Domestic Violence
Relationship between Alcohol and Domestic Violence and Treatment Options
Name
Institution
Domestic violence, also known as spouse abuse, is a situation where a person in an intimate association or a marriage tries to control and dominate the other person. The abusers use fear, shame, guilt, and intimidation to keep their partners under control. Additionally, the abuser can also hurt their partners or those around them such as children. Alcohol and other substance abuse have a complicated relationship with domestic violence. Most people believe that the alcohol and other substance abuse are the leading causes of domestic violence but in some cases, the abusers rely on their addictions as an excuse for becoming violent. While the use of alcohol may affect the severity of the violence perpetrated by the abuser, it does not result in a loss of control. …show more content…
Alcohol and substance abuse cases a breakdown of family values and lowers the inhibitions of the abusers.
Therefore, the family members of abusers having higher incidences of domestic violence than family members of non-abusers do. Bennett (1998) suggested that the alcohol affects the user’s ability to receive and process information. The user’s distorted thinking does not cause violence but increases the chances of misinterpretation in the behavior of other people. However, scientific studies have not found any such inhibition centers in the brain, therefore, challenging the disinhibiting model. Additionally, some cases of domestic violence do not involve alcohol and substance abusers (Rogers et al. 2003, p.591). Therefore, most studies on the issue have failed to come up with a conclusive relationship between alcohol and domestic
violence.
Other studies also indicate that the victims of domestic violence may use alcohol or substances with their abusers in an attempt to increase their safety and manage the violence while in some cases; the abuser forces the victim to partake in alcohol and substance abuse. According to a study carried out at Buffalo’s research institute on addictions, men who drink alcohol have a higher predisposition for physical violence on the days that they drink. Studies focused on domestic violence cases have identified recent consumption of alcohol by the abusers. Although the estimates of these figures vary from country to country, all the victims reported that their partners always or sometimes used alcohol prior to the assault. Johnson (2001) conducted a research to find out the link between heavy drinking, attitudes, occupational status, and wife assaults. He found that the main factors affecting domestic violence were attitudes and the level of alcohol abuse. Johnson’s findings concurred to those of Kantor and Straus (1990). Johnson’s study also revealed that the most significant contributing factor to domestic violence was male attitudes in support of control over female partners (p.66). Additionally, some of these studies found that victims of domestic violence sometimes consume alcohol and other substances although at a lower level than their perpetrators. For example, a study conducted in Iceland found that 22% of female domestic violence victims used alcohol following their abuse as a coping mechanism. However, Lipsky et al. (2005) analyzed the data from an urban emergency department in the US with 182 women who had experienced intimate partner violence and 147 who had no such history. Lipsky and his fellow researchers found that while alcohol and substance abuse increased the risk factors for domestic violence, they were merely facilitators. The study did not find clear evidence whether substance abuse precedes or follows domestic violence, which indicates that women may ‘self-medicate’ to numb the effects of intimate partner violence. Rogers et al. (2003) conducted a study to determine the relationship between the severity of domestic violence and alcohol use among battered women. The scholars found that women have a higher prevalence of substance and alcohol for self-medication and coping with trauma as compared to men. Lipsky (2005) came up with the same conclusions. However, both groups of researchers admitted that their data may have been affected by the small sample size, the bias of self-reports and the underreporting of domestic violence.
Several factors affect the association between domestic violence and alcohol use. For example, heavier and more frequent drinking and substance abuse increases the incidences of domestic violence for perpetrators. Additionally, people with a substance abuse or alcohol problem are at increased risk of victimization in domestic violence cases. Alcohol and substance abuse worsen other conditions that ultimately lead to intimate partner violence. Poor or fair mental health combined with alcohol abuse problems increases the risk for domestic violence while severe intimate partner violence amongst men is associated with antisocial personality disorder (Cocker et al., 2002, p.263). Additionally, expectations also factor into domestic violence as societal expectations lead to aggressive behavior towards partners. Dissatisfaction in a relationship can cause one partner to develop an alcohol and/or substance abuse problem thus increasing the risk for domestic violence. Additional evidence suggests that partners with different alcohol consumption levels are more likely to have alcohol-related arguments that may end up in violence.
In some cases, societal beliefs about gender roles, violent behavior, and alcohol consumption affect the prevalence of domestic violence. For example, in many African communities, both heavy drinking and violent behavior towards women is associated with masculinity. In some extreme cases such as in South Africa, some individuals participate in heavy drinking so that they can carry out violence in a socially acceptable manner. On the other hand, some societies believe that alcohol consumption is a cause of violence, and this plays a mitigating factor while alcohol-related violence could increase the punishment given to the offender in other societies. In such cases, researchers argue that violence is learned. They argue that men batter their wives because they grew up in an abusive household. According to the ‘learned violence’ opinion, women seek abusive men because when they were children, they saw their fathers abusing their mothers. However, the ‘learned behavior’ theory has deficiencies in that women from abusive households have a low probability of getting involved in domestic violence. Additionally, research shows that many of the boys who witness domestic violence vow not to become like their fathers. A more realistic version of the ‘learned behavior’ theory is that witnessing domestic violence is just a source of information, and the kids learn that exerting control over women is acceptable even with the use of violence.
Treatment and Prevention
To alleviate alcohol-related domestic violence, therapists must address the alcohol or drug problem during treatment. Statistics shows that couples therapy for alcoholism reduces intimate partner violence considerably. Follow up sessions on behavior couples therapy showed that the incidence of domestic violence before BCT therapy was 64%, 28% after one year, and 19% after two years of BCT therapy (O’Farell & Fals-Stewart, 2000, p.52). In these cases, the domestic violence was because of a relapse to alcohol consumption. Therefore, in an effort to reduce domestic violence, it is important to address societal stereotypes and other factors that facilitate domestic violence.
Currently, the research dealing with prevention of alcohol-induced domestic violence is minimal. However, health officials have developed several strategies to decrease the harmful drinking of alcohol in the population. These strategies often address the societal outlook towards domestic violence, beliefs about heavy drinking and masculinity, and the acceptance of excessive alcohol consumption as a mitigating factor. Officials can also reduce alcohol-related domestic violence through regulation alcohol consumption in ways such as reducing alcohol availability, treatment for alcohol use disorders, and regulating alcohol prices. However, only high-income countries have implemented such strategies, and there is no evidence to suggest their suitability for other countries. Therefore, there is a need to create strategies specific to low and middle-income countries especially strategies that alter social norms. In terms of policy, there is a need to collect and disseminate scientific information on alcohol consumption that will help in early identification of alcohol use disorders. The World Health Organization made a resolution in 2005 that requests UN member states to develop effective strategies for reducing alcohol related incidences (WHO, 2005, P.6). Additionally, the WHO Global Campaign for Violence Protection began in 2002 and aims to increase awareness on the violence problem and increase prevention activities on the local and international level. The United Nations implemented the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence towards Women in 1993 (WHO, 2005, p.6). The declaration aims to raise awareness of violence against women and urges states to eliminate all forms of violence towards women while also outlining key strategies for domestic violence prevention.
Conclusion
The analysis above suggests that alcohol and substance abuse is not a cause for domestic violence but rather a means to an end. Studies conducted on the issue revealed that perpetrators of such violence have an inflated sense of self-importance and wish to exert domination over others. Therefore, officials should not base policies and strategies for coping with domestic violence on the assumption that alcohol consumption causes violence or disinhibits cognitive facilities. The research conducted proves that domestic violence is a direct result of societal norms about male domination and women’s place in society. In some cases, men use alcohol as an excuse to become violent. Other conditions such as poor mental health increase the risk of violence erupting in the domestic scene. However, alcohol and substance abuse in the victims may also cause an increased prevalence of domestic violence. These victims may partake in the drugs and alcohol voluntarily as a coping mechanism, or the perpetrators may force them to use the substances. These facts show that officials should develop policies targeted at eliminating the alcohol and substance abuse problems as a strategy of reducing domestic violence. Additionally, the policies should focus societal norms that discriminate against women especially in African communities. The World Health Organization and the United Nations have also passed resolutions to member states in an effort to increase awareness of the problem and to motivate the states to reduce gender-based violence. If countries implement these measures along with other region-specific measures, then domestic violence cases related to alcohol and substance abuse will decrease thus forming a healthy family structure.
References
Bennett, L. (1998). Substance abuse and woman abuse by male partners.Harrisburg, PA: the National.
Coker, A. L., Davis, K. E., Arias, I., Desai, S., Sanderson, M., Brandt, H. M., & Smith, P. H. (2002). Physical and mental health effects of intimate partner violence for men and women. American journal of preventive medicine, 23(4), 260-268.
Johnson, H. (2001). Contrasting views of the role of alcohol in cases of wife assault. Journal of interpersonal violence, 16(1), 54-72.
Kantor, G. K. & Straus, M. 1990, ‘The “drunken bum” theory of wife beating’, in Physical Violence in American Families: Risk Factors and Adaptations to Violence in 8,145 Families, eds M. Straus & R. Gelles, Transaction Books, New Brunswick, NJ, pp. 203-224
Lipsky, S., Caetano, R., Field, C. A., & Larkin, G. L. (2005). Psychosocial and substance-use risk factors for intimate partner violence. Drug and alcohol dependence, 78(1), 39-47.
O 'Farrell, T. J., & Fals-Stewart, W. (2000). Behavioral couples therapy for alcoholism and drug abuse. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 18(1), 51-54.
Rogers, B., McGee, G., Vann, A., Thompson, N., & Williams, O. J. (2003). Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence Stories of Practitioners that Address the Co-Occurrence among Battered Women. Violence against women, 9(5), 590-598.
World Health Organization. (2005). Intimate partner violence and alcohol fact sheet. Retrieved November, 11, 2006.
Name
Institution
Domestic violence, also known as spouse abuse, is a situation where a person in an intimate association or a marriage tries to control and dominate the other person. The abusers use fear, shame, guilt, and intimidation to keep their partners under control. Additionally, the abuser can also hurt their partners or those around them such as children. Alcohol and other substance abuse have a complicated relationship with domestic violence. Most people believe that the alcohol and other substance abuse are the leading causes of domestic violence but in some cases, the abusers rely on their addictions as an excuse for becoming violent. While the use of alcohol may affect the severity of the violence perpetrated by the abuser, it does not result in a loss of control. …show more content…
Alcohol and substance abuse cases a breakdown of family values and lowers the inhibitions of the abusers.
Therefore, the family members of abusers having higher incidences of domestic violence than family members of non-abusers do. Bennett (1998) suggested that the alcohol affects the user’s ability to receive and process information. The user’s distorted thinking does not cause violence but increases the chances of misinterpretation in the behavior of other people. However, scientific studies have not found any such inhibition centers in the brain, therefore, challenging the disinhibiting model. Additionally, some cases of domestic violence do not involve alcohol and substance abusers (Rogers et al. 2003, p.591). Therefore, most studies on the issue have failed to come up with a conclusive relationship between alcohol and domestic
violence.
Other studies also indicate that the victims of domestic violence may use alcohol or substances with their abusers in an attempt to increase their safety and manage the violence while in some cases; the abuser forces the victim to partake in alcohol and substance abuse. According to a study carried out at Buffalo’s research institute on addictions, men who drink alcohol have a higher predisposition for physical violence on the days that they drink. Studies focused on domestic violence cases have identified recent consumption of alcohol by the abusers. Although the estimates of these figures vary from country to country, all the victims reported that their partners always or sometimes used alcohol prior to the assault. Johnson (2001) conducted a research to find out the link between heavy drinking, attitudes, occupational status, and wife assaults. He found that the main factors affecting domestic violence were attitudes and the level of alcohol abuse. Johnson’s findings concurred to those of Kantor and Straus (1990). Johnson’s study also revealed that the most significant contributing factor to domestic violence was male attitudes in support of control over female partners (p.66). Additionally, some of these studies found that victims of domestic violence sometimes consume alcohol and other substances although at a lower level than their perpetrators. For example, a study conducted in Iceland found that 22% of female domestic violence victims used alcohol following their abuse as a coping mechanism. However, Lipsky et al. (2005) analyzed the data from an urban emergency department in the US with 182 women who had experienced intimate partner violence and 147 who had no such history. Lipsky and his fellow researchers found that while alcohol and substance abuse increased the risk factors for domestic violence, they were merely facilitators. The study did not find clear evidence whether substance abuse precedes or follows domestic violence, which indicates that women may ‘self-medicate’ to numb the effects of intimate partner violence. Rogers et al. (2003) conducted a study to determine the relationship between the severity of domestic violence and alcohol use among battered women. The scholars found that women have a higher prevalence of substance and alcohol for self-medication and coping with trauma as compared to men. Lipsky (2005) came up with the same conclusions. However, both groups of researchers admitted that their data may have been affected by the small sample size, the bias of self-reports and the underreporting of domestic violence.
Several factors affect the association between domestic violence and alcohol use. For example, heavier and more frequent drinking and substance abuse increases the incidences of domestic violence for perpetrators. Additionally, people with a substance abuse or alcohol problem are at increased risk of victimization in domestic violence cases. Alcohol and substance abuse worsen other conditions that ultimately lead to intimate partner violence. Poor or fair mental health combined with alcohol abuse problems increases the risk for domestic violence while severe intimate partner violence amongst men is associated with antisocial personality disorder (Cocker et al., 2002, p.263). Additionally, expectations also factor into domestic violence as societal expectations lead to aggressive behavior towards partners. Dissatisfaction in a relationship can cause one partner to develop an alcohol and/or substance abuse problem thus increasing the risk for domestic violence. Additional evidence suggests that partners with different alcohol consumption levels are more likely to have alcohol-related arguments that may end up in violence.
In some cases, societal beliefs about gender roles, violent behavior, and alcohol consumption affect the prevalence of domestic violence. For example, in many African communities, both heavy drinking and violent behavior towards women is associated with masculinity. In some extreme cases such as in South Africa, some individuals participate in heavy drinking so that they can carry out violence in a socially acceptable manner. On the other hand, some societies believe that alcohol consumption is a cause of violence, and this plays a mitigating factor while alcohol-related violence could increase the punishment given to the offender in other societies. In such cases, researchers argue that violence is learned. They argue that men batter their wives because they grew up in an abusive household. According to the ‘learned violence’ opinion, women seek abusive men because when they were children, they saw their fathers abusing their mothers. However, the ‘learned behavior’ theory has deficiencies in that women from abusive households have a low probability of getting involved in domestic violence. Additionally, research shows that many of the boys who witness domestic violence vow not to become like their fathers. A more realistic version of the ‘learned behavior’ theory is that witnessing domestic violence is just a source of information, and the kids learn that exerting control over women is acceptable even with the use of violence.
Treatment and Prevention
To alleviate alcohol-related domestic violence, therapists must address the alcohol or drug problem during treatment. Statistics shows that couples therapy for alcoholism reduces intimate partner violence considerably. Follow up sessions on behavior couples therapy showed that the incidence of domestic violence before BCT therapy was 64%, 28% after one year, and 19% after two years of BCT therapy (O’Farell & Fals-Stewart, 2000, p.52). In these cases, the domestic violence was because of a relapse to alcohol consumption. Therefore, in an effort to reduce domestic violence, it is important to address societal stereotypes and other factors that facilitate domestic violence.
Currently, the research dealing with prevention of alcohol-induced domestic violence is minimal. However, health officials have developed several strategies to decrease the harmful drinking of alcohol in the population. These strategies often address the societal outlook towards domestic violence, beliefs about heavy drinking and masculinity, and the acceptance of excessive alcohol consumption as a mitigating factor. Officials can also reduce alcohol-related domestic violence through regulation alcohol consumption in ways such as reducing alcohol availability, treatment for alcohol use disorders, and regulating alcohol prices. However, only high-income countries have implemented such strategies, and there is no evidence to suggest their suitability for other countries. Therefore, there is a need to create strategies specific to low and middle-income countries especially strategies that alter social norms. In terms of policy, there is a need to collect and disseminate scientific information on alcohol consumption that will help in early identification of alcohol use disorders. The World Health Organization made a resolution in 2005 that requests UN member states to develop effective strategies for reducing alcohol related incidences (WHO, 2005, P.6). Additionally, the WHO Global Campaign for Violence Protection began in 2002 and aims to increase awareness on the violence problem and increase prevention activities on the local and international level. The United Nations implemented the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence towards Women in 1993 (WHO, 2005, p.6). The declaration aims to raise awareness of violence against women and urges states to eliminate all forms of violence towards women while also outlining key strategies for domestic violence prevention.
Conclusion
The analysis above suggests that alcohol and substance abuse is not a cause for domestic violence but rather a means to an end. Studies conducted on the issue revealed that perpetrators of such violence have an inflated sense of self-importance and wish to exert domination over others. Therefore, officials should not base policies and strategies for coping with domestic violence on the assumption that alcohol consumption causes violence or disinhibits cognitive facilities. The research conducted proves that domestic violence is a direct result of societal norms about male domination and women’s place in society. In some cases, men use alcohol as an excuse to become violent. Other conditions such as poor mental health increase the risk of violence erupting in the domestic scene. However, alcohol and substance abuse in the victims may also cause an increased prevalence of domestic violence. These victims may partake in the drugs and alcohol voluntarily as a coping mechanism, or the perpetrators may force them to use the substances. These facts show that officials should develop policies targeted at eliminating the alcohol and substance abuse problems as a strategy of reducing domestic violence. Additionally, the policies should focus societal norms that discriminate against women especially in African communities. The World Health Organization and the United Nations have also passed resolutions to member states in an effort to increase awareness of the problem and to motivate the states to reduce gender-based violence. If countries implement these measures along with other region-specific measures, then domestic violence cases related to alcohol and substance abuse will decrease thus forming a healthy family structure.
References
Bennett, L. (1998). Substance abuse and woman abuse by male partners.Harrisburg, PA: the National.
Coker, A. L., Davis, K. E., Arias, I., Desai, S., Sanderson, M., Brandt, H. M., & Smith, P. H. (2002). Physical and mental health effects of intimate partner violence for men and women. American journal of preventive medicine, 23(4), 260-268.
Johnson, H. (2001). Contrasting views of the role of alcohol in cases of wife assault. Journal of interpersonal violence, 16(1), 54-72.
Kantor, G. K. & Straus, M. 1990, ‘The “drunken bum” theory of wife beating’, in Physical Violence in American Families: Risk Factors and Adaptations to Violence in 8,145 Families, eds M. Straus & R. Gelles, Transaction Books, New Brunswick, NJ, pp. 203-224
Lipsky, S., Caetano, R., Field, C. A., & Larkin, G. L. (2005). Psychosocial and substance-use risk factors for intimate partner violence. Drug and alcohol dependence, 78(1), 39-47.
O 'Farrell, T. J., & Fals-Stewart, W. (2000). Behavioral couples therapy for alcoholism and drug abuse. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 18(1), 51-54.
Rogers, B., McGee, G., Vann, A., Thompson, N., & Williams, O. J. (2003). Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence Stories of Practitioners that Address the Co-Occurrence among Battered Women. Violence against women, 9(5), 590-598.
World Health Organization. (2005). Intimate partner violence and alcohol fact sheet. Retrieved November, 11, 2006.