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Domestic Violence, Drugs, and Alcohol: How It Affects Youths Minds Sabrina Hernandez December 3, 2022 JS 122 Professor Rivera

Hernandez 2 Abstract In this essay, we will discuss the topic of how alcohol and drug use increases violence between partners and family members, and how victims use it to ease the pain of domestic violence. After further research and gathering information, the use of drugs and alcohol increases an individual's likelihood to be violent against a partner or family member and in turn, increases the severity of violence. It will also include the negative effects on children and how witnessing domestic violence can cause them to be violent in adulthood. We will discuss theories and how it can relate to the research question of, “How does alcohol and drugs induced domestic and family violence affect children later in life?” Domestic Violence, Drugs, and Alcohol: How It Affects Youths Minds

Hernandez 3 Domestic violence is a harsh topic that is taboo for many people, however discussing it and researching it is necessary to help those affected by it. There are an abundance of people who consider themselves survivors of domestic violence. Domestic violence (DV) or Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) affects all demographics of people. Based on the research, there is a large group of people who experience domestic abuse because either them or a spouse abuses substances. This essay will discuss previous research to explain how substance caused domestic and family violence can affect children later in life, whether it is mentally or physically. We will discuss the research done on domestic violence itself, research on drugs and alcohol's effects on people involved in domestic violence, and how both of these negatively affect children. According to the United States department of justice, domestic violence is defined as “crimes of violence committed by a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim,” (USDJ, 2020). Too often, DV and IPV is hard to identify since it is not just physical abuse but it includes multiple forms of abuse. While hard to distinguish, it does affect about 10 million people every single year, which is triple the amount of the population of Los Angeles. Based on this statistic, it shows that one in four women and one in nine men are victims and survivors of domestic violence. The reasoning for separating the terms victim and survivor is the fact they are not the same. A victim of domestic violence is someone who is still experiencing domestic violence and is in need of help, while a survivor of domestic violence is someone who is no longer being actively abused and is working on healing from their abuse. Based on information from NextDoor solutions, a domestic violence agency in San Jose, CA, people who experienced domestic violence prefer to be called survivors rather than victims since they do not want their life based around the abuse they endured and instead want to show they are overcoming it. The National Library of Medicine explains how all healthcare professionals will treat a patient that is involved in domestic or family violence (Huecker et al, 2022). As previously stated, too many people believe that domestic violence is only physical abuse, however we know

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Hernandez 4 this to be false. Domestic violence can be seen as psychological abuse of children, adults, or elders, economic abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and physical abuse (Huecker et al, 2022). It can be difficult to properly research aspects of domestic violence as a lot of cases go unreported, whether due to fear or other reasons. This should not stop researchers from trying as domestic violence has a huge scope of issues that correlate to it, like the inclusion of substance abuse. Substance Use and Abuse Based on the research provided, it can be said that alcohol increases the likelihood of domestic violence. While research explains that alcohol may not necessarily cause violence, it indicates that there is an increase in how severe the violence is than if there was not any alcohol at all. Graham et al explains males are more likely to be aggressive when alcohol is involved in domestic violence disputes (Graham et al, 2011). This is important as statistics explain that men are more likely to be the aggressor than women, even when substance use is involved, and women are more likely to be victims and survivors of domestic violence. Black et al says that, “Women ages 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 generally experience the highest rates of intimate partner violence,”(Black et al, 2011). With experiencing domestic violence, comes its repercussions. This includes mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and PTSD. Substance abuse is more likely to occur in victims and survivors of domestic violence. This shows the intersectionality of domestic violence victims and survivors as the repercussions of experiencing it are immense. Juergens explains, “Women who have been abused are 15 times more likely to abuse alcohol and 9 times more likely to abuse drugs than those without a history of abuse,” (Juergens, 2022). Macy et al also connects with how domestic violence can increase substance abuse. They explain how women that have been affected by IPV have a higher chance at dealing with substance abuse issues than those who don’t (Macy et al, 2012). This can be for

Hernandez 5 many reasons, they used it during their abuse, they saw their abuser using it, they were forced, or it can be as a coping mechanism. Macy et al also explains that their research is in connection to domestic violence because they believe that there is a need for collaboration in order to help both sides of domestic violence, that of the victim and the abuser. Choenni et al also explains that when talking about explicit drug use and domestic violence, most research is based on the use of cannabis and cocaine (Choenni et al, 2017). This is likely because they are easier to access than other drugs. It was also found that alcohol is more closely correlated to family violence than partner violence which connects closely to our research. It helps build our hypothesis that children in homes of domestic violence, increased by substance use, causes negative mental effects and also can lead to them possibly becoming abusers later in life. Effects on Children Research conducted by OASH states, “Many children exposed to violence in the home are also victims of physical abuse. Children who witness domestic violence or are victims of abuse themselves are at serious risk for long-term physical and mental health problems. Children who witness violence between parents may also be at greater risk of being violent in their future relationships.”(OASH, 2021) This explains a possible way for children to be affected by domestic violence in their household. It negatively affects their views on relationships and what one is supposed to look like. If their only example of a relationship is their parents and they see violence occurring between them, they are more likely to carry that violence into their adulthood and reiterate it in their future relationships. Osofsky mentions that seeing violence not only can affect parents' behavior but children as well (Osofsky, 1999).Violence does not necessarily have to be physically done to a child to affect them. Research done by Guerra also helps to support our hypothesis. He explains that, “Prior violence exposure had a significant effect in increasing aggression, normative beliefs about

Hernandez 6 aggression, and aggressive fantasy. These findings suggest that witnessing community violence has an effect on children's aggressive behavior through both imitation of violence and the development of associated cognitions as children get older,” (Guerra et al, 2003). Children being surrounded by violence negatively affects them as they perpetuate that violence as they get older. While this is not said for all children, most who did grow up in a household with violence are more likely to be violent or become criminals. This can be attributed to the fact no one explained to them the violence was wrong and they saw it as a part of a relationship, or simply something people do. A journal by Fantuzzo and Mohr explains, “The specific effects may differ depending on a host of variables, such as the children's ages, the nature and severity of the violence, the existence of other risk factors in the children's lives (for example, poverty, parental substance abuse), and whether the children are also directly physically abused. In general, childhood exposure to domestic violence can be associated with increased display of aggressive behavior, increased emotional problems such as depression and/or anxiety, lower levels of social competence, and poorer academic functioning.” (Fantuzzo & Mohr, 1999) This supports our theory that children affected by drug and alcohol induced domestic violence are likely to become violent themselves and abuse the same substances. “ Alcohol and other drug abuse is a major problem for children and families…Substance abuse compromises appropriate parenting practices and increases the risk of child maltreatment. A substantial proportion of substantiated child abuse and neglect reports involve parental substance abuse” (Ryan et al, 2006). As stated, physical abuse is not the only form of family or domestic violence, neglect is also a form of abuse. A case that contributed to the research is that of Gabriel Fernandez. His case showed how neglect is a type of abuse and how this affects children as his neglect and abuse was ultimately the cause of his death. Another case that comes to mind is Lisa’s 911 call. Lisa’s case is one taught in courses and discussed heavily in domestic

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Hernandez 7 violence issues. Her case is a famous domestic violence call that was made by a 6 year old girl, Lisa, who called 911 to get help for her mom and siblings from her abusive stepfather. Her reaction in the 911 call contributed to our research as it shows some children must have maturity at a young age, due to the violence and trauma they have endured as a kid and that domestic violence forces. Theory Life-course theory is important to help explain how domestic violence affects children. Life is seen as a chain reaction and life-course theory helps put together how that chain reaction contributes to how domestic violence leaves children afterwards. According to Tibbetts, life course theory is “explanatory models of criminal behavior that follow individuals throughout their life courses of offending, thus explaining the development of offending over time." (Tibbetts, pg.215, 2019) This correlates to our study as we look at children’s lives and find events in their lives to see how viewing domestic violence can affect their development throughout their life course. Life course also brings in the concept of early onset which is the time at which we can monitor children's behavior to look for criminal behavior or different behavior due to domestic violence. Life course theory perfectly explains the concept of becoming violent later in life due to events that happen in children's youth. A person’s brain is not fully developed until your mid to late 20s, meaning all a child witness affects their brain development and can permanently alter their brain chemistry, causing depression, anxiety, and aggression. Policy Critique Our government does not have many laws that protect those affected by domestic violence, especially ones that are specific to children. One of them is Marsy’s Law. Marsy's law is a victims Bill of Rights and helps them know their rights in court. It ensured constitutional protections for crime victims in all 50 state constitutions and the U.S. Constitution, as previously

Hernandez 8 before 2008 there was no real help for domestic violence survivors. Under Marsy's Law, the California Constitution article I, § 28, section (b) now provides victims with the following enumerated rights: To be treated with fairness and respect for his or her privacy and dignity, and to be free from intimidation, harassment, and abuse, throughout the criminal or juvenile justice process, (Allison, 2022). Marsy’s law is put in place to protect survivors and victims of domestic violence, but what about families? There are no specific laws that correlate both domestic violence and children and they should go hand in hand as children are affected by it too. A policy needs to be created to help children as well. Another law created to help victims of domestic violence was the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). It is a federal law that was signed into effect on September 13, 1994. VAWA helped fund investigations and the prosecution of crimes involving violence against women. This act helps so many women essentials such as financial support, housing support, child support, and legal assistance. All of which are necessary to helping survivors thrive after their abuse. The VAWA Reauthorization Act of 2022 helped to be more inclusive and include acts of violence against all genders as domestic violence can happen to anyone and any type of relationship. Conclusion The research done on the topic of how alcohol and drug use increases violence between partners and family members, and how victims use it to ease the pain of domestic violence is not perfect and needs to be continued. However, it can be said that the use of drugs and alcohol increases an individual's likelihood to be violent against a partner or family member and in turn, increases the severity of violence. With this, it can also be said that witnessing domestic violence, especially one caused by substance use has a negative effect on children and makes them more susceptible to become violent in their adult lives. Policy change is necessary to better

Hernandez 9 help those affected by domestic violence and their families. Without change, there can’t be growth and growth is necessary for those who have dealt with domestic violence. References Allison, K. (2022, March 4). Marsy's law . Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services (OVSRS). Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/victim-services/marsys-law/ Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Choenni, V., Hammink, A., & Van de Mheen, D. (2017). Association between substance use and the perpetration of family violence in industrialized countries: A systematic review. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 18 (1), 37-50. doi:10.2307/26638160

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Hernandez 10 Domestic Violence. The United States Department of Justice. (2020, October 23). Retrieved May 14, 2022, from https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence Fantuzzo, J. W., & Mohr, W. K. (1999). Prevalence and Effects of Child Exposure to Domestic Violence. The Future of Children , 9 (3), 21–32. https://doi.org/10.2307/1602779 Graham, K., Bernards, S., Wilsnack, S. C., & Gmel, G. (2011). Alcohol may not cause partner violence but it seems to make it worse: a cross national comparison of the relationship between alcohol and severity of partner violence. Journal of interpersonal violence , 26 (8), 1503–1523. doi: 10.1177/0886260510370596 Guerra, N. G., Huesmann, L. R., & Spindler, A. (2003). Community Violence Exposure, Social Cognition, and Aggression among Urban Elementary School Children. Child Development , 74 (5), 1561–1576. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3696194 Huecker, M., King, K., Jordan, G., & Smock, W. (2022, February 10). Domestic violence - statpearls - NCBI bookshelf . National Library of Medicine. Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499891/ Juergens, J. (2022, October 31). Addiction and domestic violence . Addiction Center. Retrieved December 3, 2022, from https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/domestic- violence/ Macy, R., & Goodbourn, M. (2012). Promoting successful collaborations between domestic violence and substance abuse treatment service sectors: a review of the literature. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 13 (4), 234-251. doi:10.2307/26638118 OASH. (2021). Effects of domestic violence on children . Effects of domestic violence on children; Office on Women's Health. Retrieved May 15, 2022, from

Hernandez 11 https://www.womenshealth.gov/relationships-and-safety/domestic- violence/effects-domestic-violence-children Osofsky, J. D. (1999). The Impact of Violence on Children. The Future of Children , 9 (3), 33–49. https://doi.org/10.2307/1602780 Ryan, J., Marsh, J., Testa, M., & Louderman, R. (2006). Integrating substance abuse treatment and child welfare services: findings from the Illinois alcohol and other drug abuse waiver demonstration. Social Work Research, 30 (2), 95-107. doi:10.2307/42659618 Tibbetts, S.G. (2019). Criminological theory: The essentials, 3rd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

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