Type:	Journal Article
Title:	Is there a relationship between victim and partner alcohol use during an intimate partner violence event?: findings from an urban emergency department study of abused women
Other Titles:	Journal of studies on alcohol
Authors:	Caetano, Raul Larkin, Gregory L Field, Craig A Lipsky, Sherry
Keywords:	Screening;Theories of violence;Drug and alcohol misuse
Year:	2005
Publisher:	Journal of Studies on Alcohol Inc.
Citation:	66 (3)
Notes:	This article presents a US study on the factors associated with drinking during an intimate partner violence (IPV) event among abused women at an emergency department. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were used. Among the 182 cases, abused women who drank while victimised were found to be significantly more likely to drink more alcohol per week, abuse alcohol, be alcohol-dependent and use illicit drugs, than those who did not drink when victimised. Partners of women who drank while victimised were also more likely to drink 5 or more. Among women who drank while victimised, 100% of their partners also drank when perpetrating violence in at least one IPV event. Among women who did not drink when victimised, two thirds of their partners drank when perpetrating violence. Among those in which the abused women also perpetrated violence, the partner’s drinking paralleled the woman’s drinking in events perpetrated by the women. The findings support the theory that women may self-medicate to alleviate the effects of violence, since alcohol use and misuse, and illicit drug use among abused women, were independently associated with alcohol-related IPV, especially among women who drank while victimised. Limitations of the study included the small sample size, bias of self reports, the under-reporting of substance use and under-reporting of IPV. It suggests the importance of screening for substance use among women who are at risk for IPV, and the identification of those with substance using partners, in order to assist women at increased risk for co-morbid polysubstance use and more severe IPV, to be provided with a more tailored intervention or referral for substance use treatment and IPV.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/15517
ISSN:	0033-5649
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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