Violência contra a mulher, coesão familiar e drogas

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the association between cohesion, adaptability and mental risk in families, physical violence against women and the use of drugs. METHODS:Data for this paired case-control study was collected in 2004 and 2005 in the city of Joao Pessoa, in Northeastern Brazil. The sample included 260 women, divided into 130 battered individuals and 130 non-battered. The case study group consisted of women who lodged complaints for domestic violence at the Specialist Women's Police Station. The control group was made up of women living in the same neighborhood as those who had made the complaint. Cohesion, adaptability and mental risk were all measured using the "Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales". For the statistical analysis the Chi-square and the Fisher's Exact Tests ere used, at a signifi cance level of 5%. RESULTS:The two groups differed for measures relating to mental risk and cohesion, but had similar results for family adaptability (p=0.0917). The women victims of domestic violence had high (43.1%) and medium (39.2%) mental risk, while the non-victims had only medium risk (55.4%). There was a signifi cant difference in drug use between the two groups, with greater consumption among the families of battered women (90.8%) compared with those of non-battered women (56.9%). The most widely used drug was alcohol, which also represented the highest risk factor for aggression if consumed daily (OR=37.33) or in conjunction with other drugs (OR=29,56). CONCLUSIONS:Both the instability caused by a lack of family unity and the use of drugs signifi cantly affect family functioning and may give rise to confl ict and domestic violence.

Female homicide in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

“…Several studies have found a higher consumption of licit and illicit drugs in families where there is violence towards women or when the offender uses alcohol and drugs [26][27][28] , characterizing alcohol consumption as a risk factor for violence against women. The relationship between alcohol consumption and crime is recognized as a serious social and public health issue, because alcohol, due to pharmacological stimulation, acts as a releasing factor for aggression, and has been used as justification for abusive behavior by both the perpetrators and the professionals and institutions 28,29 . However, in recent years, researchers have criticized the causal attribution of violence to addictive behaviors such as alcohol and drugs, showing that it can minimize the sociocultural character of violence 17,30 .…”

Dependência de álcool, cocaína e crack e transtornos psiquiátricos

“…Além disso, verificam-se altos índices de violência familiar entre a população usuária de drogas, o que também pode ser desencadeante de separações frequentes (Bonifaz & Nakano, 2004;Rabello & Caldas Júnior, 2007).…”

Situations which precipitate conflicts in the conjugal relationship: the women's discourse

“…The consumption of alcoholic drinks by the partners is one of the main causes leading the partner to commit crime. [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] Attention is also called to the fact that the women state that the use of drugs/alcohol is the event causing conjugal violence, it being considered that if this is absent, the conjugal relationship is healthier. The women studied declared that when their partners drink, they are transformed, attacking them, initially verbally, and then progressing to other types of violence.…”