CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. Getting The Basics
2. Substance Abuse
3. Violence Against Women
4. Violent Men
5. Alcohol and Violence
6. Alcohol, Drugs and Sexual Assault (Date Rape)
7. Preventing Sexual Assault
8. After a Rape or Sexual Assault
9. Assistance - Women
10. Assistance - Men
11. Legal Options

Supplements
Resources
Glossary
Fact Sheets

It Won't Happen to Me:
Substance Abuse-Related Violence Against Women for Anyone Concerned About The Issues

Role of Substance Abuse

Substance abuse plays a large role in many abusive relationships, though not in all of them. If a man has a problem with substance abuse, he is not automatically going to become violent. Similarly, if a man becomes violent in a relationship, this does not mean that he abuses alcohol or other drugs. However, because alcohol has been shown to be present in approximately half of the cases involving violence, it is an important factor.²

In both substance abuse and violence against women, research shows that both problems are passed on from generation to generation and that the abuser blames the victim for the violent behavior. The abuse usually continues until someone is hurt and is often kept a secret. In many cases the victim wrongly blames herself for her partner's substance abuse or violent actions.²