Over the years, statistics show that substance abuse plays a role in the increase of dating violence. According to the state of Michigan, dating violence is a pattern of controlling behaviors that a person uses against another to gain power and control. This abuse is not only physical but also psychological, financial, verbal, and sexual. The use of substance abuse aggravates and increases dating violence and makes a negative impact on a relationship.
Due to impaired judgment caused by substance abuse, a relationship becomes dysfunctional and brings mistrust. When a partner abuses drugs, they are likely to have their judgment impaired, which leads them to use and manipulate their partner (State of Michigan, 2020). The abused partner often feels powerless and taken advantage of, and psychological issues start to crop up. When dating violence occurs in the connection, their mental state becomes affected. This mental abuse usually fosters trauma and difficulty in coping with their day to day lives (State of Michigan, 2020). An abused partner will likely suffer from conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
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When a partner is already violent and abusive, the use of substances usually heightens the abuse and creates an unhealthy space for the other person (State of Michigan, 2020). Their security becomes compromised, and they no longer feel safe in the relationship. Due to this, statistics begin to rise; the number of reported deaths and injuries increase, and incarceration numbers grow (State of Michigan, 2020). These numbers will rarely go down due to the legalization of some of the drugs and a continued market for illegal ones. Also, statistics show that abused people have a hard time leaving the abuser.
In years to come, there will be an increase in the number of dating violence cases because substance abuse is continually on the rise. Addiction and abuse often worsen over time; the likelihood of an individual changing their behavior is usually next to zero. Denial and shame often consume the abused individual who, in turn, refuses to report the matter and therefore continues to live in a vicious unending cycle.
Reference
State of Michigan. (2020). Defining dating violence . https://www.michigan.gov/datingviolence/0,4559,7-233-46553-169521--,00.html
