Domestic violence and drug dependence pose a challenge to public health throughout the world and are too often directly linked. Cases of domestic violence are fairly more complex when one or both partners (or other family members) are facing drug use addiction. Such a realization offers an opportunity to understand why the care for the victims and perpetrators as well, for their health and the prevention of future violence, is so important. The complexity of the phenomenon and its comparison to a “cycle” with a repetitive tendency is based on the causal and effect relationship between addiction and domestic violence – the inability to purchase drugs, combined with other factors, often leads to higher intolerance in family relations as well as those with other close acquaintances and vice versa. Domestic violence diminishes self-confidence and motivation, increases stress, causing victims to reach for substances in order to dull the physical and emotional pain. When circumstances deteriorate, particularly after suffering trauma, victims take large quantities of drugs in order to live through it.
Drug addiction and domestic violence affect the quality of life not only of those directly involved but rather of the children and senior citizens – the physical and psychological wellbeing of the entire family. Once the problem is addressed, the system must aim to protect against domestic violence, offer addiction treatment, to reduce further victimization and its influence on the health and wellbeing of future generations. However, locating the root of the problem by all stake holders in the system is not so simple. Often, the victims seeking help in institutions, or even other civil society organizations offering services for protection against domestic violence, lack trust due to the stigma and refrain from sharing that in addition to violence, they are also struggling with addiction. This information is particularly important in order to approach the problem from various aspects and offer proper support. Unless all information is shared, support will not suffice in order to respond to the complex problem but would address only domestic violence without affecting the aetiology.
Our domestic violence prevention and protection system lacks efficiency in dealing with domestic violence and properly responding to the victims’ needs, generally, and particularly if the victim is facing addiction. Bigger protection involves the necessary inclusion of civil society organizations offering specialized support services. First of all, health workers, as the first chain in the system, must focus on their patients’ safety by providing access information to the police, the Social Work Centre, and other services offered, such as access to free legal aid and psychosocial support. There are other options available in cases of domestic violence and drug addiction, including the services of civil society organizations offering help and support in cases of domestic violence, as well as help and support for drug users.
A positive example on the help and support offered to women drug addicts and victims of violence is the Safe House in Slovenia, the only such in Europe specialized in victims of domestic and violence from partners who are simultaneously drug users. The Safe House provides accommodation and complete psychosocial support towards reintegration of the victims and aid in addiction treatment. This example of a holistic approach to the problem should be copied in our system in order to offer efficient institutional response and reach a successful result.
Due to the different forms of violence women addicts suffer, there is always the additional risk for new violence, which can be reduced with timely provision of safe accommodation. The process of rehabilitation and reinforcing drug users is prevented by the lack of psychotherapy programs, helpful in the recovery from the trauma suffered. The lack of trained staff prevents the public health system from providing proper help, hence the essential role of civil society organizations who work with vulnerable groups and offer free and confidential services towards strengthening the capacities of their clients.
Victims addicted to drug use require individual approach in order to establish a feasible plan to help them change their life. Psychosocial support provided by experts can greatly help in affirming their self-confidence, finding a home, financial independence and most importantly controlled drug use and greater motivation to choose use substitution therapy.
Due to the lack of state support services for victims of domestic violence and individuals addicted to drugs, organizations specialized in working with vulnerable groups collaborate daily. An organization specialized in prevention and protection against domestic violence can also offer support for drug addiction through its partner organizations.
The more complex the situation, the longer the road to recovery and the process of adopting positive changes and developing new behaviour models. Resistance and lack of trust in institutions is understandable considering the manner in which our society continues to experience the drug problem, as well as the common practices of revictimizing the victim due to drug use. However, civil society organizations specialized in offering help and support to victims of domestic violence are trained and sensitized in working with vulnerable groups hence an open approach is crucial for excelent, timely and comprehensive help and support. The longer the individual is facing the problem without addressing it, the worse the emotional pain, therefore the deeper the addiction problem. Seeking help early is particularly important.
The consequences and the issue of dealing with drug-related violence require coordinated response among health workers, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders in the system. Public health has a crucial role in coordinating the multisectoral response for prevention of drug-related violence. Dealing with the consequences and the effects requires an integrated approach that recongnizes and responds to the risk factors on all levels.
Building capacities and training the staff is also necessary, particularly of those who have frequent contact with drug users or victims and perpetrators of domestic violence, in order to enable them to identify drug-related violence and offer support or refferal to coresponding services.
Author: Rosana Bogatinova
Received her Bachelor and Master’s degree at the Faculty of Law Iustinianus Primus – Skopje in the field of criminal law and criminology.