Adverse Childhood Events and Substance Misuse in Men Who Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Adverse childhood events related to violence suffered have developmental consequences such as the reproduction of such violence in intimate relationships and substance misuse in the later life trajectory. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between suffering adverse childhood events and excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs in 120 men, with a mean age of 40.51 years ( SD = 11.06), who have abused women in a relationship. The results indicate that those who suffered abuse in childhood and other adverse childhood events in the family of origin consumed alcohol and drugs in excess. Furthermore, the regression models show that alcohol consumption is related to previous substance use by parents, while drug use is related to leaving home due to family conflicts. Also, the consumption of alcohol and other substances is likewise associated with consumption by parents and conflicts within the family. The size of the effect of the relationship increases when different forms of poly-victimization coexist. Conflict treatment is necessary in any setting, especially when it takes place in the family environment and at an early age, to avoid the transmission of maladaptive behaviors associated with substance misuse and violence.

Stressful life events: Typology of aggression and mistreatment in male perpetrators of gender‐based violence

“…Likewise, conflict in the family of origin may imply that the individual who experiences it lacks social support and sufficient coping skills (Steinhoff et al ., 2020). As a result, violence becomes normalized as a way to resolve later conflict (Rivas‐Rivero & Bonilla‐Algovia, 2021). Failure to intervene could lead to an increase in the frequency and intensity of GBV (Both et al ., 2020), with inevitable serious consequences not only for the female partner but also for the child/children who is/are exposed either directly or indirectly to it (Rivas, Bonilla, & Vázquez, 2020), and who may go on to replicate such behavior when they grow up (Choi et al ., 2019).…”

“…Adult SLEs were associated with violence toward the partner's children in 11% of cases. Psychosocial factors such as economic and employment problems and substance abuse may therefore have mediated hostile attitudes toward other members of the family (Hammett et al ., 2020; Rivas, Bonilla, & Vázquez, 2020; Rivas‐Rivero & Bonilla‐Algovia, 2021).…”

“…Nor does it acknowledge the bidirectionality of violence. It should be noted that the List of Stressful Life Events has not been validated, and, although it measures the occurrence of such events, it does not analyze the frequency with which they have been suffered, so it does not delve into such events, although it has been used in various investigations offering relevant findings that show the importance of studying its influence on the subsequent life trajectory (Guillén, Panadero, Rivas, & Vázquez, 2015; Rivas‐Rivero & Bonilla‐Algovia, 2021; Roca et al ., 2019). Third, the participants may have underplayed the extent of their behavior as a consequence of social desirability; failed to recognize their responsibility for the erroneous attribution of aggression; or neglected to identify certain of their behaviors as violent.…”

“…Although both sexes can exercise and be victims of violence, men are more likely than women to act violently and exercise dominance and controlling behaviors (Ubillos‐Landa, Puente‐Martínez, González‐Castro, & Nieto‐González, 2020). Gender‐based violence (GBV) occurs in most societies and contexts and constitutes a serious global public health problem (McCarthy, Mehta, & Haberland, 2018; Rivas‐Rivero & Bonilla‐Algovia, 2021). In Spain, the latest Macro‐Survey on Violence Against Women, carried out in 2019 by the Government Delegation for GBV, indicated that the prevalence of GBV was 11.4% in the case of physical abuse, whereas 8.9% had suffered violence by a current or former partner (Delegación del Gobierno contra la Violencia de Género, 2020).…”

The co-occurrence of substance misuse, domestic abuse, and child maltreatment: Can Family Drug and Alcohol Courts play a part?

“…For perpetrators, contributing factors can include the disinhibiting effects of alcohol and its impacts on cognitive processes that can result in perceptual biases such as “hostile attribution biases” ( 32 ). The risk of intergenerational transmission of patterns of violence and misuse of alcohol can also increase when perpetrators have themselves experienced childhood adversity, especially if it involved violence and abuse ( 37 , 38 ). Furthermore, female victim-survivors may use alcohol to cope with DA ( 9 , 20 , 39 , 40 ) or other traumas, which, as already noted, has been associated with reduced attention to children's needs ( 7 , 30 , 41 ).…”