Rutgers Univ Study - Domestic Violence and Addiction

FACTS ON: Alcohol, Drugs and Domestic Violence

By Robert Mackey, Ph.D., C.A.C., DVS

Statistics on the positive correlation between domestic violence and addiction range from forty-four percent, according to the New Jersey Uniform Crime Report of 1989, to more than eighty percent in some research studies. According to the National Woman Abuse Prevention Project in Washington, D.C., alcoholism and battering share the following characteristics: Both are inter-generational, involve denial and minimization of the problem, and involve isolation of the family. Considering this, any intervention with either of these problems should consider the implications and presence of the other.

The topic of domestic violence and its association with addiction has received increased attention over the past decade. In a report by Schuerger and Reigle (1988), personality and background data were obtained on two-hundred fifty men enrolled in a group treatment program for spouse abuse. The major conclusions of this investigation verified the prevalence of alcoholism, drug abuse, and violence in the family of origin of abusive men. Fitch and Papantonio (1983) found violence between the batterer's parents, abuse of the batterer as a child, alcohol and drug abuse, and economic stress to be highly correlated to spouse abuse. Data from the New York based program, Abused Women's Aid In Crisis, indicate that alcohol abuse on the part of the husband was a factor in over eighty percent of their cases. Other findings cited by these authors came from a survey involving interviews of one hundred wives of alcoholics who had identified themselves as victims of abuse. Seventy-two percent of these women indicated they had been threatened physically, forty-five percent had been physically attacked, and twenty-seven percent had experienced potentially lethal attacks. None of these women had sought help as victims of battering, suggesting that alcohol abuse is not only a factor in many cases of domestic violence, but that wife battering may be very common in families of alcoholics.

Lehmann and Krupp (1984) surveyed one thousand five hundred cases of women calling a hotline for abused women in Philadelphia, and fifty-five percent of these women said that their husbands became abusive when drinking. Lehman and Krupp asserted that although the association between alcoholism and domestic violence is clear, "most existing research supports the conclusion that alcohol abuse does not cause domestic violence." A final portion of this research involved interviews with ten alcoholism counselors and ten workers specializing in the field of domestic violence. Contrary to the research literature, workers in both fields believed that alcoholism was, in fact, the primary cause of the violence. These findings support the need for collaboration between the fields of addiction treatment and domestic violence as well as for professional training on the subject.

In summary, research on alcohol abuse and domestic violence makes it clear that men with drinking problems are at high risk to be abusive toward their spouses. However, it is also clear that many men who have drinking problems do not abuse their wives, and that some men who don't have drinking problems do abuse their wives. Therefore, the conclusion that there is no direct causal relationship between drinking and spouse abuse, a position supported by most of the researchers in this area, appears irrefutable.

There are a few important points to consider when intervening with the problems of alcohol abuse and domestic violence. First, there is no causal relationship between the two, therefore recovering from one of the problems does not assure resolution of the other. Treatment of the addiction should precede treatment for the battering; however, in many cases counseling for battering can be initiated concurrently or can be instituted initially to assist in confronting the denial of the addiction. In either case, the violence must be addressed immediately, either through counseling or through legal sanctions and restraints, to assure the safety of the victim(s). Victims of domestic violence, whether alcoholism is involved or not, should receive the benefit of counseling and education about the cycles and dynamics of battering. Victims should also be given the opportunity to investigate family-of-origin issues, beliefs, behavioral patterns, and role expectancies that increase vulnerability to abusive types of relationships through disempowerment. The goal of intervention is to assure safety and to empower both victim and abuser to act independently in their best interests. While family therapy can be an important aspect of addiction recovery, it is contraindicated in the presence of domestic violence. Early recovery, where both problems exist, should focus on individual self-management and should incorporate marital or family treatment as an adjunct therapy later in the therapeutic process. Domestic violence creates an extreme imbalance of power in the relationship which prohibits effective negotiation. This "disempowerment" requires a reasonable degree of resolution before the effective assertion of the victim's needs can be realized.

It is recommended that the following components be incorporated in treatment programs for battering, in order of priority:

1. Instruct and support the alcoholic-batterer in abstaining from alcohol use and violence through direct appeal, and through appropriate treatment modalities (or through legal or formal sanctions such as restraining orders, job jeopardy, etc.)
2. Confront denial and projection of responsibility.
3. Incorporate recovery programs for addiction concomitant with anger management and self-control techniques.
4. Address relapse issues common to both problems, such as resentment, self-pity, and self-defeating patterns of behavior.
5. Teach assertive communication skills.
6. Educate all parties on the techniques of effective problem-solving, thereby empowering each individual in the system to behave in his or her personal best interest.
7. Address the needs of the family system. These are inter-generational problems, and prevention is a primary objective.

Domestic violence and addiction can be a lethal mix. The loss of control and effects of alcohol and drug abuse contribute significantly to the severity of beatings in abusive relationships. FBI statistics indicate that thirty percent of female homicide victims are killed by their husbands or boyfriends. Battering, unlike the disease of addiction, is a socially learned behavior which can be reversed if the motivation for change is realized. Techniques to conrol one's behavior and social skills can be relearned to eliminate the violent behavior, just as life manageability can be attained through a commitment to recovery. Just as abstinence from a drug is alone insufficient for true recovery, elimination of violent behavior is just the first of many steps toward breaking the cycle of domestic violence.

Suggestions for Abusers

1. Seek professional help for addiction and/or aggression control. This may require involvement in appropriate 12-step meetings and in anger management counseling; addressing one problem will not necessarily solve the other.
2. Understand that both battering (physical and psychological) and addiction are progressive. The longer you deny the problems, the more dangerous they become.
3. Resentment, denial, self-pity, and loss of control are characteristic of alcoholism and battering. Be willing to get honest.
4. Alcoholism and family violence tend to be inter-generational; be prepared for long-term care. Be supportive and encourage help for your children and family. 5.You canêt avoid influencing others, but you can't afford to control anyone but yourself.

Suggestions for Battered Persons

1. Define yourself as a survivor of violence rather than a victim; it's more empowering.
2. Reach out to support groups; isolation is one of your greatest enemies.
3. Trust that ultimately you know whatês in your best interest, and act accordingly.
4. Realize that you are not the cause of another's behavior; you cannot change someone else, so focus on yourself.
5. Develop a safety plan for you and your children in the event that you need to act quickly. A local domestic violence service can assist you in developing your options and advise you of your rights.

References ans Suggestions for Further Reading

Banerjee Associates. (1994). Secret wounds: Working with child observers of family violence [Video]. Princeton NJ: Producer/Director.

Eberle, P.A. (1982). Alcohol abusers and non-users: Discriminant analysis of differences between two subgroups of batterers. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 23, 260-271.

Fitch, F.J., & Papantonio, A. (1983). Men who batter: Some personality characteristics. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 171(3), 190-192. Forward,S., & Torres, J. (1986). Men who hate women & the women who love them. New York, NY: Bantam Books.

Lehmann, N., & Krupp, S. (1984). Alcohol-related domestic violence: Clinical implications and intervention strategies. Alcohol Treatment Quarterly, 1(4), 111-115.

Martin, D. (1981).Battered wives. San Francisco, CA: Volcano Press, Inc. National Woman Abuse Prevention Project, 2000 P Street, NW, Suite 508, Washington, D.C. 20036.

New Jersey Battered Women's Coalition. (1995). Relationships and power (R.A.P.). Trenton, NJ: Author. Roberts, A.R. (1988). Substance abuse among men who batter their mates. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 5, 83-87.

Schuerger, J.M., & Reigle, N. (1988). Personality and biographic data that characterize men who abuse their wives. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 44(1), 75-81.

Sonkin, D.J., & Durphy, M. (1982). Learning to live without violence. San Francisco, CA: Volcano Press, Inc.

Weisinger,H. (1985). Dr. Weisinger's anger workout book. New York, NY: Quill.

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