Let us start by first by understanding what drug abuse is. Drug abuse is the misuse of legal drugs and the use of illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroine and others. This causes unnatural behavior of the body and especially the brain. If they are not rehabilitated or they don't stop, they may end up mad or even dead. Alcohol is also included in this category.
Abadinsky indicated that the violent nature of drug abusers as it has been proved, contributes a lot to domestic violence especially after the victim has just used the drug. A drug like marijuana has a lasting effect in the body system meaning that it can still affect ones decision making and character even after they have stopped using it.
Westendorp, indicated that though many may argue that a person taking alcohol and beating ones spouse is as scapegoat to show that they were not themselves, it is actually true that alcohol greatly alters the brain's normal activity. Wish has portrayed that drug abusers are the most violent in the families and more often than not, families with drug abusers have little experience of the word peace at home.
Drug abuse according to Marcelino (89) is one of the major causes of domestic violence. Most homes that have domestic violence are more likely to have couples (either one spouse or both) who are in drug abuse especially the consumption of alcohol more than families with no domestic violence. Newman & Newman has indicated that though not in all cases, women who have stayed in abusive relationships, mostly came from families where there was a lot of alcohol intake and domestic violence from either one or both parents.
Davis has mentioned that drug abuse causes the involuntary unnatural activity of the brain and the body. This may lead to the victim acting in different ways such having hallucinations, excessive talking, laughing, crying or seclusion. Others may be driven to eating abnormally; reading etc and others become violent.
Delaplane & Delaplane has indicated that these types of people may start a fight because of a very minor thing and are normally not ready to reason or hear anybody else but themselves. According to the U.S.A statistics, 87% of directors in domestic violence programs say that spouse fighting is likely to go up with an increase in alcohol and other drugs consumption.
Doak has communicated the false effect that a drug gives to one that they are on top of the world, these users result in violence in order to create a sense of fear to the victims. In the same country, 40% of the children who are victims of domestic violence have one of the parent and especially the father in drug abuse.
Ascione & Arkow, indicated that drug abusers suffer from self esteem and so they tend to use other means in order to cover up this weakness. This is the reason they turn to violence so that they can instill a sense of fear in their victims in order to gain control over them.
According to the statistics released by America's drug abuse help released in March 2009, 75% of domestic violence cases are caused by drug abuse.
Shornstein in her book Domestic Violence and health care believes that drug abuse causes domestic violence this is also the same with McCue Margie Laird in her book Domestic violence.
Morrison's book too Close to home, gives us a glimpse of the situation in America. Dawes also tries to show us the relationship between drug abuse and domestic violence in her book domestic Violence: Both side of the coin.
In World Health of Organization department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, has come to know that alcohol is in most domestic violence cases.
