Alcohol, Drugs and Domestic Violence:
What’s The Connection?
Dale Kay Lillak, M.S.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Dr. David Smith, speaking at the annual conference of Physicians For A Violence Free Society (February 1997) estimates that 50% of all domestic violence which ends in death correlates with alcohol and/or drug use at the time of the assault, with alcohol and methamphetamines being the primary drugs of abuse. Dr. Smith, who is President of the Haight Ashbury Clinic, went on to say that 95% of these murder victims are women.
Domestic violence and substance abuse seem to go hand in hand, but does substance abuse cause domestic violence? This is a question many law enforcement officers would affirm as true. Yet, we all know that thousands of people drink and use illegal substances daily and never commit acts of violence to a stranger and most especially to their "loved one". If a direct-cause or one-to-one relationship between domestic violence and substance abuse does not exist, how are these two very distinct and different problems correlated?
Theories and implications . . .
Disinhibition: The disinhibition theory suggests that the physiological and psychological changes which occur while under the influence explain the high incidence of violence. Errors in thinking occur, such as, impairment in choice making or misinterpreting others’ intent and behavior. Perception and time distortion couple to create an over reaction to current events rather than assessing future consequences. This concept implies that domestic violence is a direct outcome of the disinhibiting effects of alcohol or other drugs. It is important to recognize, however, that domestic violence is selective violence. That is, people who perpetrate domestic violence do not usually become violent with other people, such as, their co-workers, boss, or friends. Disinhibition alone is not a primary cause of domestic violence.
Attribution: Our cultural beliefs or attitudes about drunkenness color our ideas about behavior. Because we have learned to expect certain behaviors when someone is under-the-influence of alcohol or other drugs, we allow for, tolerate and anticipate misbehavior on the part of the substance abuser. Research in other countries and cultures reveals that expectations about under-the-influence behavior is quite different than ours resulting in different behavior. The attributing of behaviors theory implies that the connection between substance abuse and domestic violence is fallacious. A common misconception in the treatment of substance abuse is that domestic violence will end when the perpetrator stops using and abusing.
Disavowal: Associated with the idea of socially learned attribution of behaviors, disavowal of responsibility allows alcohol and drug use to become an excuse. The perpetrator and those around him tend to blame the drug and the drug using behavior for the violence.
Interaction Model: The interaction of other life events, such as, job pressure or relationship conflict and issues, such as, anger management or poor impulse control are targeted as the underlying problem. The concern becomes one of prioritizing treatment focus toward the substance abuse and the "underlying problem", but not the violence. The interaction model is deceptively close to the mark, and leads treatment providers on a pursuit for the "fix". Again, the violence becomes a "symptom" rather than the problem.
Alcohol and power . . .
Research into understanding domestic violence and the correlation with substance abuse does reveal another way to view this problem. Sociocultural in origin this view arises from our beliefs about violence, intimate relationships, and alcohol. Studies have shown that men who perpetrate domestic violence have rigid (often stereotyped) beliefs about their roles as men. These beliefs were most likely developed in a childhood of violence and dysfunction, and supported by cultural attitudes. The most common factor or set of factors connecting domestic violence and substance abuse are the perpetrator’s beliefs and attitudes about control and power in intimate relationships. Personal power is a highly motivating force within all humans, and unfortunately one of our cultural routes to manhood has been the initiation through alcohol of "feeling like a man" or feeling powerful. According to researchers Lemle and Mishkind (1989) publishing in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, ". . . alcohol provides a semblance of power for fragile masculinity. With all its ambiguities, heavy drinking represents toughness, risk-taking, virility, and sexual prowess in American culture: A man who can hold his liquor is a ‘man’." Dutton and Strachan (1987) comparing men who have assaulted their wives and heavy male drinkers, found that both these groups are distinguished by their need for power. The cause of domestic violence does not reside in the perpetrators use of alcohol or drugs. Domestic violence occurs when the perpetrator holds certain beliefs and attitudes about himself and his world.
The connection . . .
In conclusion, the correlation between substance abuse and domestic violence occurs at several levels: cultural attitudes regarding power in relationships, the abuse of alcohol or other drugs coupled with a distorted sense of masculinity and need for power, and the beliefs of the individual perpetrator regarding the use of violence to control their intimate partner all come together to create this deadly connection.
A cautionary note . . .
Domestic violence is not caused by the use or abuse of alcohol, methamphetamines, cocaine, or any mood altering substance. These problems do occur separate from one another. The severity of violence tends to escalate when people are under-the-influence. The substance abuser is not always the perpetrator. Women with substance abuse problems are frequent targets in relationship violence. The findings discussed in this article do not necessarily translate to an understanding of gay or Lesbian relationship violence. And, finally, female victims of domestic violence report that their use of substances was often a coping strategy, a way to numb the pain of emotional and physical violence.
Bibliography
Dutton, D. & Strachan, C. (1987). Motivational needs for power and spouse-specific assertiveness in assaultive and nonassaultive men. Violence and Victims, 2, 145-156.
Gondolf, E.W. (1993). Alcohol abuse, wife assault, and power needs. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 38-53.
Lemle, R. & Mishkind, M. (1989). Alcohol and masculinity. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 6, 213-322.
Smith, D. (1997). Presentation at The Annual Conference For Physicians For a Violence Free Society, San Francisco.