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Abstract
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Sixty-three male inpatient alcohol and drug addicts and 34 of their female partners participated in a study of variables associated with physical and nonphysical abuse of women. Results suggest that domestic abuse by male addicts is not directly related to experience of violence or addiction in the family of origin, external locus of control, or severity of alcohol abuse. Correlates of domestic abuse were an early onset of drug/alcohol-related problems; low income; a history of nonalcohol drug use, particularly cocaine; and a history of arrest and outpatient counseling.
VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this study by Bennett et al. was to study variables associated with physical and non-physical abuse of women by male alcohol and drug addicts.
METHODOLOGY:
The authors employed a quasi-experimental survey design for this study. More specifically, the sample was composed of 63 married, cohabiting, or divorced male inpatients in public or nonprofit substance abuse treatment programs in a Midwest metropolitan area. The authors hypothesized that a) the frequency of physical and non-physical abuse would be greater for men who experienced violence, addiction, or drug abuse in their families of origin, b) the frequency of physical and non-physical abuse would be greater for men who expected that events were external to their control, and c) the frequency of physical and non- physical abuse would be greater for men who were more severely abusive of alcohol or drugs.
The authors conceptualized physical and non-physical abuse as two ends of a continuum. Thus, abusive acts ranged from dominance, threats, isolation and emotional abuse to assault with a weapon. Tolman's Psychological Maltreatment of Women Inventory was used to measure the frequency of non-physical abuse (Cronbach's Alpha = .92). The Conflict Tactics Scale was used to measure physical abuse (Cronbach's Alpha = .85). To better estimate the reliability of men's responses, 34 current or recent female partners were interviewed. The correlations of men's to woman's reports were .66 for quantity of alcohol used, .47 for frequency take a drink, .54 for physical abuse, and .25 for non-physical abuse. However, only the latter approached statistical significance (p>.05). Experiences in the family-of-origin were measured by retrospective questions about the respondent's family history of alcoholism, the frequency they observed parental spouse abuse, parent's alcoholism, and perceived child abuse. Expectancy of external locus of control was measured by the Chance and Powerful Other subscales of Levensen's IPC control scale. Attribution of control of drinking to alcoholism was measured by the Drinking Related I-E (DRIE) scale. Severity of alcohol and drug abuse was measured by the Severity of Alcoholism Dependency Questionnaire. This set of items asked respondents about the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption two weeks prior to admission into the program. The respondents were also asked about their history regarding drug use. In addition, the survey asked about the age at which the respondents first got drunk/high, first incurred problems from their drinking/drug use, first admitted they had a problem, and first time they sought help. In addition, personal information was obtained. Simple descriptive techniques were used to analyze the data
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
Results showed that more than one third of the men had been the subject of an order of protection or arrested for battery. The authors reported that this finding is similar to estimates in national samples. Results also showed that more than half of the men had a substance abusing parent, one third were abused by their parents, and more than one third witnessed their father beat their mother. Findings showed that physical abusers had significantly more history of drug use as well as a significantly earlier onset of drug/alcohol problems. Findings also indicate that non-physical abuse is significantly and positively associated with prior marital therapy and a history of arrest. However, on the whole, most of the hypothesized relationships were unsubstantiated by the analysis.
AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
The authors made several suggestions for future research since their analysis failed to support their arguments. First, they suggested that future samples compare addicts, problem users, batterers, recovering substance abusers and normal. Moreover, they suggested that such studies examine the differences between these groups over time. Second, they suggested that future studies use weighted measures of non-physical abuse to insure the reliability of self-reports.
EVALUATION:
The unclear relationship between alcohol and domestic abuse has been receiving a good deal of attention as of late. The significance of this study lies in its focus on extreme cases, i.e., inpatients in treatment programs. While first steps are always necessary, the approach taken by the authors of this study had some serious problems. First, the small size of the sample limits the generalizability of the findings. Second, the study lacked a guiding theory. While its hypotheses were fairly well founded, it lacked an overall theoretical framework. However, this is more the fault of the confusion surrounding the nature of the relationship between alcohol and domestic abuse than it is the authors. One methodological flaw which, in part, derives from theoretical shortcomings concerning alcohol and domestic abuse is the lack of a comparison group. The authors might have been more successful in generating meaningful findings if a suitable comparison group were used -as they themselves suggested in the conclusion. However, by no means is this study without value. Its focus on inpatients is a significant in and of itself. And its value will likely reside in the future studies that follow in its footsteps.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
Adult Male
Adult Offender
Adult Substance Use
Adult Violence
Male Substance Use
Male Violence
Male Offender
Alcohol Use Effects
Alcohol Related Violence
Drug Related Violence
Drug Use Effects
Substance Use Effects
Substance Use-Violence Co-Occurence
Domestic Violence Offender
Domestic Violence Causes
Spouse Abuse Causes
Spouse Abuse Offender
Offender Characteristics
Offender Substance Use
Partner Violence
Violence Against Women
Cohabitation Abuse Causes
Cohabitation Abuse Offender
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