Does substance abuse cause a lot of family violence?
Drug and/or alcohol abuse is often involved in situations of family violence but it does not cause the violence. It is more accurately seen as a co-indicator of problems in the home. Substance abuse may also be used by the offender as an excuse to escape responsibility for his behaviour. People who abuse drugs and alcohol are often trying to use those substances to escape a painful reality or to make up for unmet needs in their lives. Thus substance abuse is often a symptom of a deeper problem, not the problem itself.