Substance Use and the Cycle of Domestic Violence

L.A. CADA is marking Domestic Violence Awareness Month during October, and this week we’re highlighting the correlation between Interpersonal Violence (IPV) and the use of alcohol and drugs. It may not be exactly what you think.
Research has shown a clear link between substance use and domestic violence. About 25-50% of domestic violence perpetrators are dependent on substances, and 40%-60% of reported domestic abuse situations involve alcohol or drug use. One meta-analysis found that individuals with a drug use disorder are four to ten times more likely to perpetrate violence than non-drug users. Drugs and alcohol are both consciousness-altering substances, and can result in behavioral changes such as increased aggression, impaired judgment and cognitive function, and lower inhibitions and self-control. All of these can contribute to violent behavior, particularly when paired with other risk factors for domestic violence. It's important to remember that substance use alone does not cause domestic violence. Not everyone who commits abuse uses drugs and/or alcohol; conversely, not everyone who uses drugs and/or alcohol commits abuse. Rather, substance use makes it more likely that someone with abusive tendencies or other risk factors will commit violence. But it’s not only batterers who use alcohol and drugs – so do many victims. People who are abused may drink or use drugs to dull the pain and hopelessness of a violent relationship. Sometimes the relationship is based on using or drinking together. And some victims find themselves in risky and violent situations because their senses are dulled from substance use. There are different pathways to a violent relationships, yet the important fact is that up to 75% of women in a domestic violence shelter reported frequent alcohol or drug use, or a current substance use problem, according to Pyramid Healthcare. Another source cited that 42% of clients in one Illinois shelter abused alcohol or other drugs. The cycle of substance use paired with the cycle of domestic violence creates dangerous, even deadly situations for victims. Both conditions must be treated concurrently, and more and more shelters are now providing integrated care for IPV and substance use disorders. Making a Safety Plan is the first step in escaping the cycle of violence and substance use. If you are in a domestic violence situation where substance use is a factor, L.A. CADA can help. Call us at (562) 906-2676.

Dating Violence

Did you know that an estimated one in three U.S. teens experiences physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner? During Domestic Violence (DV) Awareness Month this October, L.A. CADA reminds you that a third of teens in abusive relationships do not tell anyone.

So what is Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)? Like all forms of abuse, it’s about maintaining power and control. It happens when an abuser seeks to control his or her partner's thoughts and actions through any means necessary. Dating violence is any type of verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual abuse that occurs between two people identified as being in a dating relationship. The abuser often uses a variety of abusive methods to gain the control needed, including emotional, verbal, physical, sexual, financial, and emotional abuse.

Young women ages 16 to 24 have the highest rates of intimate partner violence, and women are more likely than men to sustain physical injuries. LGBTQ+ youth are also at higher risk for IPV, with transgender youth reporting particularly high rates.

So why does a person even stay in a relationship where violence is present? Sometimes it’s about money; the victim needs the abuser for financial support. Many DV survivors report still loving their abusers and recall the “good times” more often than the abusive acts. Some hope they can change their abusers by showing patience and love. Additionally, victims may feel shame and embarrassment for getting into such a relationship. Others feel pressured by family members or their community to stay in an abusive relationship for the sake of their children or for religious reasons. Far more commonly, victims stay in abusive relationships out of fear; fear of being alone or fear that their abuser will harm or kill them if they try to leave.

It's difficult to know what to say or do for a friend or loved one in an abusive relationship. Here’s what survivors say helped them:

· Listening with patience, letting the victim time to tell their story in their own words

· Asking how they can help and respect those suggestions. If you try to do it for them, you may make the situation worse

· Avoiding judgment towards the victim, even if it has taken them a long time to seek help. Instead offer to give them support and encouragement while they get the resources they need to end the relationship. · Helping them make a Safety Plan (PDF)

If you know someone who needs help for domestic or interpersonal violence, L.A. CADA’s Youth and Family Services division can help. Call us at (562) 348-0083.

Will You Join Us?

Millions of people all over America are wearing purple for Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October. L.A. CADA invites you to join us. The tradition started in 1987 when the first DV awareness month activities were held. We wear the purple ribbon because freedom from violence is a basic human right – not only for women, but for people of color, abused LGBTQ+ persons, trafficked people, battered men, and young people who suffer harm caused by the cruel assertion of power and control.

Domestic and dating violence is not just physical harm. It also includes emotional, mental, financial, and sexual abuse. It can involve destruction of the victim’s possessions, calls to an employer, torture of family pets, as well as harm to extended family and friends who are targeted in the abuser’s efforts to cause harm to the victim. In all cases, the abuser uses controlling behaviors in a continuing cycle to get and maintain power and control.

The National Domestic Violence Resource Center reports that nearly 75% of Americans personally know someone who has been a victim of abuse. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women – more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. And while 85% of battered people are women, 15% are not. In the U.S., domestic violence is so common that it happens to someone every 9 seconds.

So why do victims stay? Why does so much domestic violence go unreported? Victims stay because they’re afraid to leave. And they leave when they’re afraid to stay. Many abusers control the finances, leaving victims with no independent means of support. And ultimately, reporting violence to the authorities increases the abuser’s anger and violence. Often, it just isn’t safe or easy for people to leave abusive situations. In addition, many batterers and victims drink and use drugs together, making escape from violence that much harder.

That’s why getting help to make a safety plan is vital. L.A. CADA and other domestic violence service providers in your community can discreetly help you or a loved one to begin your escape with a safety plan and access to shelter. And since domestic violence doesn’t happen in a vacuum, L.A. CADA provides separate anger management support for batterers.

During Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October, call L.A. CADA at (562) 906-2676 to learn more.