Description: Violence within intimate relationships is a major social problem. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one in three women and one in four men in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime (Black, et al., 2011). Although substance use alone does not cause such violence, it does make that violence more likely and more dangerous. Substance use disorder treatment offers an opportunity to address this complex relationship. When substance use professionals better understand the complexities of this issue they will be better prepared to respond to both survivors and perpetrators.
United States