by Julio Reyna, Psy.D.

Financial problems and substance abuse seem to precipitate incidents of domestic violence. Several studies support that claim: Sirles et al (1993) concluded that financial problems and alcohol abuse seem to be significant predictors of domestic violence episodes. Another research study indicted that perhaps up to fifty percent of all batterers attending a batterer’s treatment program had alcohol abuse problems (Tolman, & Bennett, 1990).

Brookoff, O’Brien, Cook, Thompson, and Williams (1997) also noted in their study that a majority of the male perpetrators of domestic violence reported having used alcohol the day of the assault, and two thirds of them reported having used alcohol and cocaine the day of the assault.

Moreover, Statistics by the Bureau of Justice Statistics Factbook (1998) show that more than half of the batterers convicted on charges of domestic violence had been drinking alcohol or using drugs the day of the incident. Another study concluded that higher use of drugs by male batterers increased the likelihood of them dropping out of the batterer’s treatment program (Faulkner, Cogan, Nolder, & Shooter, 1991).

REFERENCES

Brookoff, D., O’Brien, K. K., Cook, C. S., Thompson, T. D., & Williams, C. (1997). Characteristics of participants in domestic violence: assessment at the scene of domestic assault. JAMA: The Journal of the Medical Association, 277, 1369-1373.

Faulkner, K. K., Cogan, R., Nolder, M., & Shooter, G. (1991). Characteristics of men and women completing cognitive/behavioral spouse abuse treatment. Journal of Family Violence, 6, 243-254.

Sirles, E. A., Lipchik, E., & Kowalski, K. (1993). A consumer’s perspective on domestic violence interventions. Journal of Family Violence, 8, 267-276.

Tolman, R. M., & Bennett, L. W. (1990). A review of qualitative research on men who batter. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 5, 87-118.

Violence by Intimates: analysis of data on crime by current or former spouses, boyfriends, and girlfriends. (1998). Bureau of Justice Statistics Factbook: US Department of Justice.