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Relationship Between Relapse to Alcohol and Relapse to Violence

NCJ Number
228087
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 24 Issue: 7 Dated: October 2009 Pages: 497-505
Author(s)
Theresa Mignone; Keith Klostermann; Rui Chen
Date Published
October 2009
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relationship between alcohol use and the occurrence of intimate partner violence (IPV) focusing on IPV in partner-violent men after leaving alcohol treatment and the interrelationship between relapse to alcohol and re-occurrence of IPV.
Abstract
Study findings revealed that those subjects that relapsed to alcohol were more likely to relapse to physical aggression. Among those participants that relapsed to alcohol, the likelihood of violence was substantially higher than those who did not relapse to alcohol. Findings also indicate that for those who relapsed to alcohol, the odds of any male-to-female violence were more than 3.7 times higher than those who did not relapse. This study supports the strong association of alcohol and intimate partner violence (IPV). Given the likelihood of relapse to alcohol during and after treatment, providers should also be trained in ways to effectively deal with IPV. Future research was recommended in evaluating the issue of IPV with same-sex couples and female IPV perpetrators. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between male partners' relapse to violence and a set of risk factors. Particularly, the study examined whether the time of relapse to violence was related to male partner's relapse to alcohol in a sample of domestically-violent alcoholic men and their nonsubstance-abusing female partners. Tables, figures, and references