Substance (mis)use is a complex phenomena influenced by a variety of individual, social and environmental factors. Drugs are used for many purposes. The desire for pleasure that comes with an altered psychological state that some drugs provide is a common reason for substance use.

Understanding of substance use and abuse is socially constructed and different substances have different levels of social status and acceptance.

There is considerable disparity in responses to substance use by different members of the community and these variations are based on issues of class, race and gender.

Compared to men, women are more likely to use substances to self medicate and cope with trauma and are less likely to use substances as an instrument of aggression. For a number of reasons there is a clear overlap between family violence and substance use. Firstly, women may begin or increase their (mis)use of substances in response to family violence. ‘Women often report that, in addition to medicating the emotional and physical pain of trauma, their substance use helped to reduce or eliminate their feelings of fear and therefore become part of their day to day safety related strategies.’ Secondly, substance (mis)use may be encouraged or even forced by a partner as a mechanism of control.

A woman’s efforts to address her substance use issues may be sabotaged by the perpetrator by:

• Preventing the woman from attending meetings or keeping appointments;
• Ensuring availability of substances or triggers that prompt use or facilitate her addiction;
• Restricting access to the resources the woman needs to comply with her treatment plans.

A perpetrator may also intensify their use of violence in order to re-establish control or use the woman’s substance use to excuse their violence, or threaten to expose a woman’s substance use to friends, family or authorities. They may be the primary supplier of the drugs, increasing her dependence on them by exploiting her dependence on drugs.

Finally, factors related to victimisation ‘are low self esteem, guilt, shame, powerlessness, depression and/or sexual dysfunction.’ These factors provide a foundation for the development of substance (mis)use.

A woman who experiences family violence who has substance (mis)use issues is at increased risk because:

• Acute and chronic effects of alcohol/other drug use may prevent the woman from assessing the level of danger posed by the perpetrator;
• Under the influence, women may feel a sense of increased power. Women may erroneously believe in their ability to defend themselves against physical assaults, or their power to change the perpetrator;
• Substance (mis)use impairs judgment and thought processes so that victims may have difficulty with adequate safety planning.
• Substance use makes it more difficult to leave violence relationships;
• Women may be reluctant to contact police in violent situations for fear of their own arrest or report to Child Protection;
• Substance use may increase involvement in other illegal activities;
• Women with substance (mis)use issues ‘are less likely to be believed or taken seriously by others; they are more likely to be blamed for the violence.’

There is considerable social stigma attached to problematic substance use and, given the societal construct and expectations regarding the roles of women, they are often considered doubly deviant.

This can result in more oppressive responses their drug use and can considerably undermine their financial and housing stability and their access to support and assistance. Since women with substance use issues are less likely to have the social and/or financial means to establish a life free from violence and disengage from the perpetrator, they are particularly vulnerable to ongoing violence.

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Web Page Last Updated: 27 April 2008
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