Statistics seem to indicate a connection between alcohol and drug abuse and domestic violence, but some researchers question the cause-and-effect relationship.

If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact theNational Domestic Violence Hotlineat1-800-799-7233for confidential assistance from trained advocates.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact theNational Domestic Violence Hotlineat1-800-799-7233for confidential assistance from trained advocates.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Studies of domestic violence frequently document high rates of alcohol and another drug (AOD) involvement, and AOD use is known to impair judgment, reduce inhibition, and increase aggression. Alcoholism and child abuse, including incest, seem also to be connected.

High Rate of Alcohol Use

On the surface, it seems hard to argue with the numbers reported in domestic violence research studies.

According to theNational Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, the Bureau of Justice Statistics shows that two-thirds of victims of spousal violence report that the perpetrator had been drinking.

In a global study of intimate partner violence, the odds were higher worldwide inrelationshipswhere one or both partners had problems with alcohol, compared to relationships where neither of them did.

No Cause-and-Effect Relationship?

But those who study the dynamics of domestic abuse say there is no real research to indicate that alcoholism and drug abuse causesdomestic violence. Although research indicates that among men who drink heavily, there is a higher rate of assaults resulting in injury, the majority of men classified as high-level drinkers do not abuse their partners. Also, many of the physically abusive incidents occur in the absence of alcohol use.

An Overlap in Social Problems

According to theWomen’s Rural Advocacy Program, no evidence supports a cause-and-effect relationship between the two problems. The relatively high incidence of alcohol abuse among men who batter must be viewed as the overlap of two separate social problems, it claims.

According to The Safety Zone, there is no evidence to suggestthat alcohol useor dependence is linked to the other forms of coercive behaviors that are part of the pattern of domestic violence. “Economic control, sexual violence, and intimidation, for example, are often part of a batterer’s ongoing pattern of abuse, with little or no identifiable connection to his use of ordependence on alcohol.”

Battering Is Learned Behavior

Alcohol does not and cannot make a man abuse a woman, but it is frequently used as an excuse.

Many men drink and do not abuse anyone as a result. On the other hand, many men abuse women when they are sober. It can be easier for some men and for some women to believe that the violence would not have happened if a drink had not been taken.

Denial and Minimization

It’s part of the denial process. Alcoholism and battering do share some similar characteristics. Both may be passed from generation to generation, both involve denial or minimization of the problem, both involve isolation of the family.

So,why do batterers do it? How can you tell if you are at risk? If you are in an abusive relationship, what can you do?

Why Does Domestic Violence Happen?

SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault.Institute of Alcohol Studies.Abramsky T, Watts CH, Garcia-Moreno C, et al.What Factors Are Associated With Recent Intimate Partner Violence? Findings From the WHO Multi-country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence.BMC Public Health. 2011;11(1). doi:10.1186/1471-2458-11-109.Wilcox S.Alcohol,Drugs, and Crime. National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.

Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault.Institute of Alcohol Studies.Abramsky T, Watts CH, Garcia-Moreno C, et al.What Factors Are Associated With Recent Intimate Partner Violence? Findings From the WHO Multi-country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence.BMC Public Health. 2011;11(1). doi:10.1186/1471-2458-11-109.Wilcox S.Alcohol,Drugs, and Crime. National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault.Institute of Alcohol Studies.Abramsky T, Watts CH, Garcia-Moreno C, et al.What Factors Are Associated With Recent Intimate Partner Violence? Findings From the WHO Multi-country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence.BMC Public Health. 2011;11(1). doi:10.1186/1471-2458-11-109.Wilcox S.Alcohol,Drugs, and Crime. National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.

Abramsky T, Watts CH, Garcia-Moreno C, et al.What Factors Are Associated With Recent Intimate Partner Violence? Findings From the WHO Multi-country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence.BMC Public Health. 2011;11(1). doi:10.1186/1471-2458-11-109.

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?