Perspectives on Perpetrators’ Substance Use Among Black and Hispanic Women Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Substance use, inclusive of alcohol and other drugs, has been associated with severe male-to-female physical intimate partner violence (IPV), with most studies focusing on male perpetrators and female survivors both experiencing substance misuse. The present study explored IPV perpetrated by men with substance use issues from the perspectives of minoritized women survivors without substance use issues. We conducted 22 in-depth interviews with women self-identifying as Black or Hispanic and analyzed the interview transcripts inductively, using constructivist grounded theory methodology. Findings indicated that many participants were aware of their perpetrator’s alcohol use from the outset, but did not discover their drug use until well after committing to the relationship. Once they became aware of the substance use, women attempted to address it with their perpetrator, but were met largely with anger and physical violence. As their perpetrator’s substance use continued, participants described experiencing heightened financial burden accompanied by their own emotional withdrawal from the relationship. Participants responded to these stressors by becoming more financially and emotionally independent from their perpetrator, which led to an escalation in IPV. Increased IPV severity and risks to their children’s safety brought participants to a turning point, at which time they reported leaving or escaping their perpetrator. Some participants found that their financial independence and emotional withdrawal facilitated leaving their perpetrator. For others, however, the burden of sole responsibility for managing the household, generating income, and raising children appeared to delay their leaving. Trauma recovery programs should address the dual traumas women experience when surviving both IPV and a perpetrator’s substance use.