Family violence and victimization: Treatment issues for women with alcoholproblems

A brief overview of the prevalence of violence in women's lives and psychol ogical and physical consequences of these experiences is presented, with sp ecial attention to populations of women with alcohol and other drug problem s. Barriers to identification of violent victimization within health care s ettings are discussed. Finally, potential areas for further consideration r egarding policy, practice, and research are identified. The relationships b etween women's experiences of violent victimization and their use of alcoho l and drugs are documented, although prior research has not fully explored or explained the etiologic nature of these relationships. Of additional imp ortance is the recognition that various forms of violence occur throughout a single life span. Women's histories of violent victimization negatively a ffect their children, and thus, intergenerational issues are of concern. Un derstanding how the combined problems of alcohol and drugs interconnect wit h violence is relevant to the delivery of health services fur women.