Based on Research Conducted at OSLC
Study that examined the association of substance use and IPV for a sample of 160 women.
Project Overview
Domestic violence is the leading cause of injuries to women aged 15-44 years. Mandated treatment of intimate partner violence (IPV), or batterer treatment, is (a) very costly, (b) generally focused on men, and (c) relatively ineffective; furthermore, men also are victims of IPV, and women’s IPV is little addressed. There is evidence that women’s physical aggression toward a partner makes them more likely to sustain an injury in retaliation. Recent studies suggest the importance of individual psychopathology as a predictor of aggression for women. Substance use is associated with IPV and frequently has been considered a contributing factor for men, but this issue has been little examined in women. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of substance use, including nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drugs, and IPV for a sample of 160 generally lower socioeconomic status women studied over a number of years with the same male partner in the OYS-Couples study. We collected new data to provide additional diagnostic information on both the women and their partners’ current and lifetime substance use. We tested the validity of different explanations of the observed associations between substance use and IPV. The findings have important implications regarding the possible efficacy of substance abuse prevention and treatment programs as indirect prevention and treatment for women’s IPV.
Year Project Began: 2009Funder: ARRA Challenge Grant (National Institute on Drug Abuse)