Men, Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse

By Hugh C. McBride

Though domestic violence is disturbingly prevalent both within the United States and around the world, a number of common misperceptions persist about this epidemic of abuse.

Among the most common and most frustrating of these misperceptions is the opinion that domestic violence is somehow a “women’s issue.”

Yes, the majority of domestic violence victims are women. But most perpetrators - and many victims - are men.

According to a 1995-96 survey of more than 16,000 adults, 7.6 percent of men reported having been physically assaulted by a spouse, cohabitating partner or dating partner.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) estimates that about 850,000 men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner in the United States every year.
The DOJ also reports that between 1998 and 2002, men were the perpetrators in 84 percent of spousal abuse cases, 83 percent of spouse murders and 75 percent of dating partner murders.

Clearly, domestic violence can be described by many terms - including pervasive, epidemic, life-altering and deadly. But to categorize domestic violence as a women’s issue only is to ignore the degree to which men are responsible for - and victimized by - this insidious form of abuse.

Male Perpetrators & Substance Abuse

Domestic violence and other types of relationship abuse are hardly simple matters to identify and address. In many cases, the root causes of the abuse can be traced through decades (if not generations), and the effects of the trauma can impact the physical, social and emotional well-being of victims for years.

Complicating these matters is the role that substance abuse (including alcoholism and drug addiction) can play in the lives of perpetrators and victims, both before and after the abuse.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) reports that “regular alcohol abuse is one of the leading risk factors for intimate partner violence,” though the group acknowledges that no cause-effect relationship has been established between substance abuse and domestic violence.

The NCADV’s “Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse” report provided the following data regarding male perpetrators and drug problems:

The DOJ found that 61 percent of domestic violence offenders also have substance abuse problems.
Abusers who live with women who have alcohol abuse problems often try to justify their violence as a way to control their victims when they are drunk.
Men who beat their wives or girlfriends frequently use alcohol abuse as an excuse for their violence - attempting to avoid blame and evade responsibility by claiming the alcohol impaired their ability to control their actions.
A 1994 study by DOJ researchers found that 50 percent of defendants who were accused of murdering their spouses had been drinking alcohol at the time of the incident.

To summarize, alcohol abuse is present in the lives of the majority of men who abuse their intimate partners - but although many of these perpetrators attempt to blame either their victims’ drinking or their own as the cause of the abuse, no definitive evidence exists to support these claims.

Male Victims of Domestic Abuse

Given the staggering number of women who are domestic abuse victims, the number of men who suffer from this type of violence is relatively small. But “relatively” is the key word in that previous sentence, as hundreds of thousands of men are abused by their partners every year.

Domestic violence - including physical assault and emotional abuse - can be a traumatic experience, and trauma has been associated with long-term mental health issues and substance abuse problems. For many male victims, the physical and emotional damage of domestic violence is exacerbated by shame, as societal norms rarely provide an understanding environment for men who have been victimized by the person they profess to love.

"I think a lot of men don't come forward because of the stigma attached to being a victim who is male who may be thought of as being able to protect themselves," Jude Ruddock-Atcherley of the Hampshire (England) County Council said in an Oct. 3 BBC News article about a Hampshire-area pilot program for male victims of domestic violence.

"The more people that we are aware of, the more priority there will be attached to providing funding and services for men specifically," Ruddock-Atcherley said. The BBC News article reported that one in six British men are believed to be victims of domestic violence.

Getting Help

Overcoming the damage associated with domestic abuse involves two primary stages - ending the abuse and getting to a safe place, and accessing whatever medical, mental health and substance abuse treatment services are necessary.

Men who have been abused by an intimate partner may suffer from issues including low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse problems. In order to be of optimal effectiveness, treatment needs to identify and address all disorders and mental heath challenges that have resulted from or been exacerbated by the abuse.

One example of a the type of comprehensive treatment that may be most effective for men who have experienced domestic violence and developed substance abuse problems can be found at the Life Healing Center of Santa Fe, New Mexico, a residential treatment program specializing in addiction and trauma.

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