Violence
1. “Between 55 and 99 percent
of women who have substance abuse issues have been victimized at some point in
their life (Moses, et al., 2003) and between 67 and 80 percent of women in
substance abuse treatment are Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) victims (Cohen,
et al., 2003; Downs, 2001). Approximately half of partnered men entering
substance abuse treatment have battered in the past year.” (Chermack, Fuller
& Blow, 2000; Fals-Stewart & Kennedy, 2005) (National Center on
Domestic Violence, Substance Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence, Harrisburg
PA, Retrieved January 2016)
2. “National
statistics estimate that 50 to 90 percent of women in substance abuse treatment
have been or are currently victims of (Intimate Partner Violence) (IPV).”
(State of New York, Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services,
Retrieved January 2016)
3. “Authors indicate that there
is overwhelming evidence that victims of sexual assault and rape are much more
likely to use alcohol and other drugs to cope with the trauma of their
victimization. For example, Rape victims are 5.3 times more likely than
non-victims to have used prescription drugs non- medically. (Kilpatrick,
Edmunds, and Seymour, 1992). Rape victims are 3.4 times more likely to have
used marijuana than non-victims. (Ibid). Victims of rape are 6 times more
likely to have used cocaine than their counterparts who were not raped. (Ibid).
Compared to women who had not been raped, rape victims were 10.1 times more
likely to have used “hard drugs” other than cocaine. (Ibid).” (WCSAP, Research
& Advocacy Digest Sexual Assault and Substance Abuse, October 2005)
4. “The combination of
childhood maltreatment and intimate partner violence exposure during adulthood
substantially increase risks for the onset of substance use disorder
(diagnosable substance abuse/addiction), new findings from a group of U.S.
researchers indicate. In a study published in January 2015 in the journal Drug
and Alcohol Dependence, researchers from Columbia University examined the
effect that the combined experience of child maltreatment and IPV exposure has
on the chances that an adult man or woman will develop an alcohol- or
drug-related case of substance use disorder. The researchers concluded that the
two forms of trauma have an additive impact on the risks for diagnosable
substance problems.” (California Alcohol and Drug Rehab, Promises Treatment
Center, promises.com, May, 2015)
5. “Adverse Childhood
Experiences (ACE’s) contribute to stress during childhood and put individuals
at higher risk for health problems such as alcoholism and alcohol abuse,
depression, illicit drug use, intimate partner violence, and suicide attempts.
The impact of ACEs is also cumulative, meaning the more ACEs a child is exposed
to, the higher likelihood they will experience some of these health and social
problems later in life. The life expectancy of people with six or more ACEs is
20 years shorter than those without any ACEs.” (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, CDC, Connecting the Dots: An Overview of the Links Among Multiple
Forms of Violence, July 2014)
6. “The experience
of being abused as a child may increase a person’s risk for alcohol-related
problems as an adult. This relationship has best been demonstrated in women who
had been victims of childhood abuse. Several factors most likely contribute to
or influence this relationship, including coping skills; antisocial behavior;
and psychological problems, such as posttraumatic stress disorder.” (National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Alcohol Abuse as a Risk Factor for and
Consequence of Child Abuse, Retrieved January 2016)
7. “In 2004, 17% of
state prisoners and 18% of federal inmates said they committed their current
offense to obtain money for drugs. In 2002 about a quarter of convicted
property and drug offenders in local jails had committed their crimes to get
money for drugs, compared to 5% of violent and public order offenders.”
(Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department. Of
Justice, Drug and Crime Facts, Retrieved January 2016)
8. “Conclusion. In face of
problematic evidence, it is impossible to say quantitatively how much drugs
influence the occurrence of crime.” (Bureau of
Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department. Of Justice,
Fact Sheet: Drug Related Crime, NCJ-149286, September 1994)
Violence
and Homelessness:
9. “Domestic violence is the
third leading cause of homelessness among families, according to the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development.” (Safe Horizon, NYC, 2016)
Violence
and Obesity:
10. “Fear
of violence leads to weight problems for some young women. Young
African-American women who live in fear of the violence in their neighborhoods
are more likely to become obese when they reach their 20s and 30s, new research
from the University of Michigan shows.” (Medicalexpress.com, May 13, 2016)
