The incidence and characteristics of violent men in substance abuse treatment

Abstract

Linkage between marital violence and substance abuse has been noted in men seeking treatment for substance-use disorders. The present study examined (1) the incidence of family violence in men admitted into substance abuse treatment; (2) the psychosocial characteristics associated with marital violence; and (3) the comparability of violent substance abusers to their treatment cohorts. Fifty-nine men in substance abuse treatment involved in a significant relationship in the past year were assessed for substance abuse, family violence, psychosocial functioning, and personality attributes. Fifty-eight percent of men reported at least one incident of physical familial violence in the past year, while 100% of the men reported having engaged in psychological abuse in the past year. Additionally, greater violence was associated with interpersonal insensitivity, hostile outbursts, and poorer overall functioning independent of substance abuse. Finally, violent male substance abusers reported significantly more hostility, suspiciousness, projection of blame, and interpersonal inadequacy than did the less violent substance abusers. These findings suggest that, in drug-treatment settings, systematic objective screening for family violence is routinely called for.