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

Questions and Answers on Alcohol Abuse-Related Domestic Violence

Q: Do alcohol abuse and intimate partner violence share any common characteristics?

A: Both alcohol abuse and intimate partner violence can involve denial and minimization of the problem. In situations involving alcohol abuse or violence, the perpetrator and the victim or family may be isolated. Both alcohol abuse and violence revolve around power and control.

Q: What types of women experience intimate partner violence?

A: Women from all socio-economic backgrounds and across the life span can be victims of abuse. Nearly one-third of all Americans know a woman who has suffered violence at the hand of her partner.¹

Q: What role does alcohol play in intimate partner violence?

A: The use of alcohol–by the perpetrator or the victim—increases the chances that violence will occur, and influences how often it occurs, as well as how severe it is. Nearly half of men who commit acts of intimate partner violence also have substance abuse problems.² Of women who enter treatment for substance abuse, approximately three-fourths of them have been victims of physical or sexual abuse.³

Q: What role does gender play in alcohol abuse?

A: Individual differences and histories affect outcomes. However, men and women may use alcohol for different reasons and may be affected by different risk factors. Men may drink to enhance their self importance and to feel powerful. Woman may drink alcohol to help combat feelings of hopelessness or anger.⁴ Weight differences and other physiological factors account for the differences in how alcohol affects men and women.

Women who drink alcohol when they are pregnant risk causing severe damage to the fetus, including brain damage, physical problems, such as heart, lung, and kidney defects. Alcohol causes more damage to the fetus than any other substance.

Q: What impact does abuse have on family members?

A: People often minimize the impact of drinking and violence on the family. Children exposed to domestic violence may have behavior problems, depression, or problems in school.

Alcohol abuse and intimate partner violence can be passed from one generation to another – although the presence of violence or alcohol in families does not automatically mean that children will develop similar problems. Witnessing violence and living with violence can place children at risk for later alcohol problems. Children growing up in families where alcohol is abused may have a distorted image of what healthy behavior is for an adult.

Children who are victims of violence or alcohol abuse in the family may exhibit warning signs of a problem. Identifying these warning signs and providing treatment and prevention is a community-wide responsibility.

References

1. Rennison, C.M., and Welchans, S. (2000). Intimate partner violence. Publication No. NCJ 178247. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.
2. Black, C. (1981). It will never happen to me. New York: Ballantine Books.
3. Gordon, S.M. (2002). Women and addiction: Gender issues in abuse and treatment. Wernersville, PA: Caron Foundation.
4. About substance abuse, signs and symptoms. (2001). New York: Cornerstone Treatment Facilities Network.