Women Facing Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse in Los Angeles Require a
Multi-Faceted Approach to Treatment
Multi-Faceted Approach to Treatment
Domestic violence in LA is a serious problem. According to LAPD’s website, one out of every two families has been involved in domestic violence. When this crisis is compounded with substance abuse, it is imperative that treatment programs be able to address the complex set of pressures and life obstacles that women are faced with when attempting to make serious life changes.
Before exploring effective treatment methods for domestic violence and substance abuse, it is vital that the basic nature of domestic violence be established.
The pattern of Domestic Violence is cyclic in nature, as characterized by the Cycle of Violence.
The Los Angeles Police Department notes the first stage of the cycle as the “Tension Building Phase”- one characterized by intense manipulation. It is easy to conceptualize domestic abuse as merely encompassing acts of physical violence, but in actuality domestic violence embodies a far more complex environment of emotional and verbal abuse. In this phase, one’s partner engages in a series of controlling, demeaning behaviors geared towards disempowering the other partner. The most devastating result from this phase in the cycle is ultimately the deconstruction of the abused partner’s sense of self and individuality. Isolation from the partner’s sources of empowerment, such as friends, family, and interests outside the relationship are common ways to achieve this.
The second stage is known as the “Acute Battering Incident.” This phase of the cycle is by far the most dangerous and outwardly visible. Here the abusive partner acts out his or her need for power and control by physically attacking the other partner. According to the Criminal Justice Statistics Center, in 2004, domestic violence accounted for 45% of assault arrests in LA County.
The last stage is the “Remorseful Phase.” Much like the tension building phase, this phase is also heavily characterized by acts of manipulation. This time, however, the batterer’s actions are geared towards winning back his or her partner’s favor and avoiding any form of responsibility for his or her actions. While the batterer may appear remorseful, he or she is bound to initiate the cycle again, often with increased intensity.
The stress that women endure through domestic violence present serious obstacles when seeking treatment for substance abuse. Because an abusive partner’s actions are geared towards power and control, abused partners may feel pressured against making empowering life decisions, such as seeking out treatment. Substance abuse may also provide to some a sort of coping mechanism to the endured patterns of physical abuse. Furthermore, the compounded strain caused by domestic violence and substance abuse can often facilitate an entire host of other life issues such as mental illness, housing, employment, and legal issues, as well as other dangerous and unhealthy lifestyle choices.
In a study conducted with women in Los Angeles suffering from domestic violence and substance abuse, researchers utilized the Steps of Change Model. This simultaneously addressed women’s readiness to change an abusive relationship, unsafe sex behaviors, drug abuse, and emotional problems. The results of the study underscore the notion that such issues are often co-occurring and interlaced within the lives of women encountering abuse. Therefore, treatment programs need to be able to provide a comprehensive approach to recovery, where women have access to a broad range of services and community resources. With effective case management, women can prioritize and address their most immediate concerns, making it then possible to attend to the myriad of life issues that are often related to and aggravated by domestic violence and substance abuse.
In the Los Angeles community, RIGHT program recognizes that seeking help for domestic violence is neither easy nor simple, and that people are often suffering from a host of other obstacles in life that make treatment difficult. RIGHT program accommodates to the fact that life problems are often co-occurring and interrelated by offering a broad range of services to the Los Angeles community. Through confidential, comprehensive case management, clients are able to immediately address threats caused by domestic violence with crisis counseling, access to healthcare and the court system. RIGHT program services include substance abuse treatment, relationship counseling, AA/NA, parenting programs, and access to community resources (such as shelters, court systems, and healthcare referrals) that are vital to taking the first steps in recovery.
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Sources
Brown, Vivian B., et al. "Women's steps of change and entry into drug abuse treatment: a multidimensional stages of change model." Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 18.3 (2000): 231+. General OneFile. Web. 3 Mar. 2011.
State of California Department of Justice http://ag.ca.gov/cjsc/misc/mfrs.php
Los Angeles Police Department http://www.lapdonline.org/get_informed/content_basic_view/1398
