SUBSTANCE%20ABUSE

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SUBSTANCE ABUSE

• DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

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STATISTICS

• A woman beaten in the United States every 9
  seconds. (FBI statistics, 1997)
• One in 10 calls made to alert police to domestic
  violence is placed by a child in the home.
• 50 of homeless women and children are fleeing
  abuse. (Ford Foundation Study, 1990)
• A woman is killed in Florida due to domestic
  violence every 36 hours.(FDLE, 1997)
• Nearly 1 in 3 adult women experience at least one
  physical assault by an intimate partner during
  adulthood

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• Battering is the single greatest cause of injury
  for women, causing more injuries than auto
  accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. (Horn,
  1992)
• 22 - 35 of women who visit emergency rooms are
  there for injuries related to ongoing abuse.
  (American Medical Association)
• 40 - 50 of women killed in this country are
  murdered by their partners 3 of men are killed
  by their partners. (FBI, 1997

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DOES SUBSTANCE ABUSE CAUSE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?

• SUBSTANCE ABUSE DOES NOT CAUSE BATTERING.however,
  a battering incident coupled with alcohol/drug
  abuse may be more severe and result in greater
  injury.

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• Tragically, in attempting to ease the pain, a
  substance abusing victim may actually increase
  the danger she/he is exposed to
• Drugs and alcohol make the victim less aware of,
  and less responsive to, cues of forthcoming
  violence
• Less able to escape, the victim is more likely to
  fight back, thus increasing the likelihood of
  serious injury.

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• Battered women and substance abuse
• In her book, Compelled to Crime, Beth Richie
  found that many battered women had been
  introduced to drugs by their abusive partner
• The introduction was coercive
• The abuse preceded the use
• Battered women believed using drugs enhanced
  safety

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Battered women use substances

• To cope
• To self-medicate
• To use with the batterer because she feels the
  violence DECREASES when he is high

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• Many times the substance abuse has become the
  primary coping mechanism for the violence.
• For the battered women who is truly
  addicted..the challenge of substance abuse
  recovery can only come if she is living without
  violence.
• Referral to a certified substance abuse program
  is critical.

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Domestic Violence may be the core issue.

• substance abuse treatment has a much less
  likelihood of succeeding
• until the core issue is resolved.

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If he/she would just stop using

• THE LINK BETWEEN ALCOHOL/DRUG USE AND VIOLENCE
  OFFERS A WAY FOR HER TO UNDERSTAND HER PARTNERS
  BEHAVIOR.
• THIS GIVES THE BATTERED WOMAN FALSE HOPE THAT IF
  HER PARTNER WOULD STOP USING, THE VIOLENCE
• WOULD END.

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• VICTIMS OF DOMESTICE VIOLENCE
• FEAR FAILURE
• MORE
• THAN THE NEXT VIOLENT INCIDENT

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• ALTHOUGH SUBSTANCE ABUSE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ARE
  RELATED, THEY ARE SEPARATE ISSUES WITH CRUCIAL
  DIFFERENCES.
• Substance abuse is primarily harmful to the USER.
• Domestic Violence is primarily harmful to THE
  PERSON BEING ABUSED.

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• While equal numbers of men and women may be
  substance abusers, men are overwhelmingly the
  perpetrators and women are overwhelmingly the
  recipients of violence.
• While domestic violence is a criminal act,
  chemical dependency is criminal in ONLY SPECIFIC
  SITUATIONS. And yetthere has been a stronger
  criminal justice response to drunk driving/drug
  abuse than to the battering of women.

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Co-Dependency Groups

• Codependency groups provide comfort for some
  abused women. Group members are encouraged to
  focus on themselves, and to stop enabling or
  protecting their partner from the natural
  consequences of the substance abuse. They are
  encouraged to be assertive and to ask for what
  they want. For a woman in an abusive
  relationship.this can be very dangerous. If
  they use these newly learned strategies, the
  severity and frequency of the domestic violence
  may escalate.

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• Abused women need to constantly assess their
  partners moods and find it necessary to cover up
  for them as a part of their survival strategy.
• What appears to be dysfunctional may be an
  excellent survival tactic for the abused woman.
• When battered women are encouraged to stop these
  behaviors they are in essence being asked to stop
  doing what may be keeping them alive.

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• Battered women are women in crisis, women in
  trauma, and they will use whatever coping
  mechanism that successfully blocks out the pain,
  minimizes the danger, and helps them survive the
  day.
• Battered women who abuse substances are
  frequently accused of causing the battering and
  re-victimized by those who should be helping them.

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Links between Substance Abuse and Domestic
Violence

• There are significant links between domestic
  violence and substance abuse
• 65 - 75 of batterers frequently abused alcohol
• Most batterers reporting also used violence when
  NOT under the influence
• One study indicated that 18 of battered women
  were intoxicated at the time of their last
  beating.

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• Battered women have a risk of attempting suicide
  8 times greater than for non-battered women.
• Battered women have a risk of drug abuse 6 times
  greater than for non-battered women.
• Battered women have a rate of alcohol abuse 15
  times greater than for non-battered women.

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• Forcing substance abusing battered women into
  addiction treatment programs CAN re-victimize
  them.
• Twelve step programs have been uniquely
  successful in establishing sobriety for some
  substance abusers. However, the original
  founders of AA were men who presumably had little
  knowledge about the impact of violence on women.

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• Even thought the 12-step programs have been
  effective for many women, survivors of domestic
  violence need more assistance with safety and
  survival issues. For those who find support and
  comfort in AA programs, they should be encouraged
  to continue.
• Safety planning, however, is imperative.

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Understanding 12 Steps for Victims

• Any individual attempting to help an abused
  individual who is using drugs/ alcohol to cope
  should be familiar with the tenets of 12 Step
  Programs and understand their limitations for
  battered women.

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Step 1

• WE ADMITTED WE WERE POWERLESS OVER ALCOHOL THAT
  OUR LIVES HAD BECOME UNMANAGEABLE.
• Battered women I know my life is unmanageable!
  My partner abuses me and has power over me and my
  life!
• (This is a difficult message to overcome. It
  needs to be stressed that this and all other
  steps refer to the drug of choice, not
  relationships. However, in all probability, it
  is true that the relationship is unmanageable for
  you at this time.)

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Step 2

• CAME TO BELIEVE THAT A POWER GREATER THAN
  OURSELVES COULD RESTORE US TO SANITY.
• Battered women I am insane. My partner was
  right!
• (Again, this refers to the bizarre behavior
  caused by the drug/alcohol, not that you have a
  diagnosable mental health disorder. However, if
  you are in an abusive relationship, separate from
  the drugs, PTSD symptoms may be present.)

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Step 3

• MADE A DECISION TO TURN OUR WILL AND OUR LIVES
  OVER TO THE CARE OF GOD AS WE UNDERSTOOD HIM.
• Battered women I need to surrender again?
• (God, as we understand, not as anybody else.
  Particularly, we do not surrender to the person
  who does not have your best interest in mind as a
  primary goal.)

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Step 4

• MADE A SEARCHING AND FEARLESS MORAL INVENTORY OF
  OURSELVES.
  
• Battered women I am stupid, worthless, no good
  at anything. It is my fault.
• (NoNoNo this is a healthy exercise for
  anyone.We need to be responsible for our own
  behavior, not others. Every person has value.

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Step 5

• ADMITTED TO GOD, TO OURSELVES, AND TO ANOTHER
  HUMAN BEING THE EXACT NATURE OF OUR WRONGS.
• Battered women I guess I am wrong again. I
  deserved the beatings.
• (The sharing of this inventory is a cleansing
  exercise. No one deserves to be verbally,
  emotionally, sexually or physically abused for
  any reason. Others have no right to set
  themselves up as our judge, jury, or executioner.)

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Step 6

• WERE ENTIRELY READY TO HAVE GOD REMOVE ALL THESE
  DEFECTS OF CHARACTER.
• Battered women Only my higher power can remove
  my defects. I am helpless, hopeless and
  inadequate.
• (We have to do our part in correcting our own
  behavior. God can help, but we have to choose to
  make changes, and get the information to make
  good choices and options.)

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Step 7

• HUMBLY ASK HIM TO REMOVE OUR SHORTCOMINGS.
• Battered women Here I am begging to be a better
  person. If I am a better woman, will the
  violence stop?
• (Being a better person is not necessarily the
  point of this step. The idea is to ask for help
  in making healthy choices.)

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Step 8

• MAKE A LIST OF ALL PERSONS WE HAD HARMED, AND
  BECAME WILLING TO MAKE AMENDS TO THEM ALL.
• Battered women Ive nearly always been willing
  to apologize again and again. Maybe if I keep
  apologizing, my abuser will change or someone
  will help me.
• (A person is willing to make amends for harm I
  have done, has no assurances that others will
  change their behavior. There are people who care
  will help if you ask.)

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Step 9

• MAKE DIRECT AMENDS TO SUCH PEOPLE WHEREVER
  POSSIBLE, EXCEPT WHEN TO DO SO WOULD INJURE THEM
  OR OTHERS.
• Battered women Others feelings are more
  important than mine and should always be put
  first. Maybe if I ask for forgiveness, the
  batterer will stop. After all, I have made some
  serious mistakes.
• (To make amends where appropriate is healthy.
  This does not mean we have to be submissive
  because another demands it. We have all made
  mistakes, this only proves we are human. It does
  not mean we deserve to be abused or punished by
  someone else.)

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Step 10

• CONTINUED TO TAKE PERSONAL INVENTORY AND WHEN WE
  WERE WRONG, PROMPTLY ADMITTED IT.
• Battered women It has always been my fault. I
  keep taking responsibility and apologizing. I am
  so stupid.
• (We take honest inventory of ourselves, not allow
  others to do this and then tell us how we are
  wrong.)

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Step 11

• SOUGHT THROUGH PRAYER AND MEDITATION TO IMPROVE
  OUR CONSCIOUS CONTACT WITH GOD AS WE UNDERSTOOD
  HIM, PRAYING ONLY FOR KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL FOR
  US AND THE POWER TO CARRY THAT OUT.
• Battered women I have already surrendered
  completely. I am nothing. Is this His will and
  plan for me?
• (Every person has value. However, God needs your
  help in fulfilling the plan. Your plan for your
  life is best achieved with His help, but your
  efforts to make good safe choices for yourself
  are crucial.)

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Step 12

• HAVING HAD A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING AS THE RESULT OF
  THESE STEPS, WE TRIED TO CARRY THIS MESSAGE TO
  ALCOHOLICS, AND TO PRACTICE THESE PRINCIPLES IN
  ALL OUR AFFAIRS.
• Battered women Spiritual awakening? What has
  changed in my life? Will I have to be frightened
  all my life?
• (You cannot develop spirituality while remaining
  in a relationship where you are abused. Seeking
  professional help to end the abuse is an avenue
  you may want to consider.)

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ABUSE COUNSELING TREATMENT, INC.

• (ACT)
• 1-800-500-1119
• [phone]
• 24-HOUR HOTLINE
• SERVICES ARE FREE FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC
  VIOLENCE AND THEIR CHILDREN AND SURVIVORS OF
  SEXUAL ASSAULT AND THEIR FAMILIES

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Substance Abuse and DV

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