CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to the Issues
2. Understanding Alcohol Abuse
3. Understanding Violence Against Women
4. Alcohol and Domestic Violence
5. Alcohol, Sexual Assault, and Rape
6. Prevention and Early Intervention
7. Screening and Assessment
8. Diagnosis and Treatment
9. Legal and Ethical Issues

Supplements
Fact Sheets
Videos
Resources

Silence Hurts
Alcohol Abuse and Violence Against Women

Alcohol and Abusive Men

Not all men who are dependent on alcohol or drugs become violent. Similarly, not all violent men abuse alcohol or drugs. In fact, even among men who abuse drugs and batter their partners, a third of the violence happens when they are sober.³⁷ However, substance abuse remains a major risk factor for men who become violent.

Men who have witnessed or been a victim of violence in the home may imitate the violence they have seen. They tend to resort to violence when they are angry or frustrated. They may not have learned the nonviolent ways of expressing these emotions. In addition, being physically abused as a child is a risk factor for substance abuse as an adult.³⁸

Approximately 46 percent of men who commit acts of intimate partner violence also have substance abuse problems.³⁹ Problem drinking in men increases the chance of partner abuse eightfold. It also doubles the risk that they will kill or attempt to kill their wives.⁴⁰

Men with substance abuse problems and a pattern of violence need to stop their violence and their addiction. If they are treated only for the addiction, the violence will continue. In fact, victims repeatedly report that during the their partner's substance abuse recovery of periods of sobriety, the abuse continues. Often, it escalades, which creates more danger than before the sobriety. When victims report that physical violence decreases, they often report an increase in other forms of control such as threats, manipulation, and isolation.⁴¹

Thus, men who are violent and abuse substances need treatment for both issues simultaneously. This not only will help ensure the safety of the victim, but will also help prevent the abuser from relapsing. The more violent the abuser becomes when sober, the more likely he will be to use substances again.⁴²

The incidence of violence against women is not new, partly because men have had more power and status in society throughout history. What is new is the idea that violence against women is not acceptable.