It Won't Happen to Me:
Substance Abuse-Related Violence Against Women
for Anyone Concerned About The Issues
Substance Abuse and the Violent Partner
Not all men with alcohol or drug problems become violent, just as not all violent men abuse alcohol or drugs. However, alcohol and drug use remain major risk factors for violent behavior. The percentage of batterers who are under the influence of alcohol when they assault their partners ranges from 48 percent to 87 percent. Most research indicates a 60 to 70 percent rate of alcohol abuse and a 13 to 20 percent rate of drug abuse.5
For men, being physically abused as a child is linked to substance abuse as an adult. In addition, men who witness or are victims of violence in the home as a child may copy the violence later. They may become abusive when angry or frustrated. These men may not have learned nonviolent ways of expressing their feelings.
Approximately 46 percent of men who commit acts of intimate partner violence also have substance abuse problems.6 They have to work on stopping their violence as well as their addiction. If they are treated only for the addiction, the violence will continue.
In fact, many victims report that during their partner's recovery or sobriety, the abuse continues. Often, it gets worse. This can create more danger than before the sobriety. In some cases, victims report that physical violence decreases. However, other forms of control such as threats, manipulation, and isolation increase.7
Thus, men who are violent and abuse substances need treatment for both conditions at the same time. This approach can improve the victim's safety and help prevent the abuser from going back to drugs or alcohol. The more violent he becomes when sober, the more likely he will be to use drugs or alcohol again.7
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Last Updated: 6/15/04
SAMHSA is an Agency of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
