Domestic Violence And Substance Abuse Essay

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Data: Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse
A direct relationship has been found between severity of substance abuse and the extent of conjugal violence (Brown et. al, 1999). The statistical relationship between the two has been proven: 59% of men in inpatient detoxification units have behaved violently toward their wives, 70% of abused wives describe their husbands as alcohol dependent, and 75% of surveyed wives of alcoholics report being threatened with physical harm (Chartas & Culbreth, 2001). The data that speaks the greatest volume in this study concerns assailants and substances: 92% of arrested domestic violence assailants have used alcohol or other drugs on the day of the attack (Chartas & Culbreth, 2001).
Another study established
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Addicted individuals often place the importance of drug use above the best interests of their family. This attribute of substance addiction causes the abuser to neglect their families in many ways, including financially and emotionally. Substances grow to a higher priority in the mind of the abuser than ensuring the wellbeing of the family. Their partner is forced to take on the primary provider role in the home. This pressure places additional stress on the family, which can result in anxiety and anger for the addict’s partner (Jesuraj, 2012). The abuser’s loved ones experience even more psychological consequences, including denial and the feeling of a need to protect the abuser. They are neglected in aspects of their relationship and other areas of life, like their health, as the abuser takes priority in the home. Other members of the household begin to suffer as well. When a parent is addicted to a substance, the child is more likely to experience emotional problems (Jesuraj, 2012). The effects of the substance abuse reach outside of the home to the extended family, causing feelings of anger, concern, or guilt. They can also experience feelings of abandonment or embarrassment, resulting in a desire to ignore or sever ties with the abuser (Jesuraj, 2012). In cases where the extended family becomes estranged from the addict, the victims of abuse likely experience even …show more content…
Cocaine most commonly makes users feel paranoia. This effect has led researchers to the opinion that violence associated with cocaine is a result of irrational fear of the user that lead to a defensive relation (Robert & Auerhahn, 1998). The form of cocaine and method used to ingest it also plays a factor in its effects. When a user smokes cocaine in the form of crack, they are more likely to engage in violence than those who snort cocaine as a powder. The situation and circumstances that surround the drug use are also as important, if not more so, than the method used to ingest the drug (Robert & Auerhahn, 1998).
Economic compulsive violence also has a relation to the strong physical and psychological dependencies when an individual is addicted to opiates and cocaine (Robert & Auerhahn, 1998). The violent nature of drug use and distribution also have an impact on the atmosphere in which they are used. These characteristics and the violence that surround substance use can have an impact on the behaviors of those in that

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