The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence shows a clear link between substance abuse and domestic violence. Statistics indicate that up to 50 percent of men who are in counseling for domestic abuse are identified as substance abusers.
Domestic Violence is a Growing Concern
In the United States, domestic violence in dating relationships and marriages is a growing concern. According to Futures Without Violence, at least three women are murdered by their boyfriends or husbands every day. Nearly one in four women report experiencing domestic violence by a current or former partner at some point in their relationship. Statistics show that 75 percent of domestic abusers are male, and women between the ages of 20 to 24 are at the highest risk for non-fatal domestic violence. Sexual assaults and domestic violence on college campuses are on the rise, and most attacks seen by an assault lawyer are linked to alcohol and/or drug abuse.
More than 15 million children in the U.S. live in families where domestic violence occurred at least once in the past year, and seven million children live in families where severe injuries occurred from domestic violence. In Minnesota, children were present in one-third of cases that resulted in the death of their mother in 2016.
Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is a definite link between substance abuse and domestic violence. Studies show that between 25 and 50 percent of men who commit domestic violence have substance abuse problems. In reported incidences of domestic violence, more than 30 percent of abusers were drinking at the time of the assault, and 90 percent abused substances including alcohol and cocaine on the day of the assault. In reported cases where men attempted to kill their partner, alcohol was involved in over two-thirds of cases. In cases where men actually killed their partner, 25 percent were under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Approximately 75 percent of domestic violence victims who have substance abuse problems are with a partner who also has a substance abuse problem. Although heroin and cocaine are linked to high rates of domestic violence, marijuana use on a frequent basis and prescription pain medications like oxycodone and vicodin are also linked to incidences of domestic violence. An assault lawyer in Minnesota commonly sees sexual assault and domestic violence cases that involve alcohol and/or drug abuse or addiction.