Addiction, Violence And The Way Out

Addiction, Violence And The Way Out

The more that we choose not to talk about domestic violence, the more we lose.

~Russell Wilson

Many working class families in India live under a grave financial crisis with 41.6% of the population below the international poverty line. This leads to an enormous burden on the families, especially men to earn more, due to the stringent patriarchal society in place. The financial crunch and the added burden results in an overload of stress. To cope with this, men resort to substances like alcohol which soon turns into an addiction and perpetuates violence against women in the household.

In a study conducted in 1970, Hamilton and Collins (1981) estimated that 25% to 50% of male against female domestic violence events involved overconsumption of alcohol as it directly affects cognitive and physical function and that those who were violent against their partners were disproportionately likely to have alcohol problems. This proves the direct linkage between substance abuse and domestic violence and how the latter becomes a consequence of the former.

This has been a major concern of ours since the labor force is much more affected by the issue. Looking at the result of their survey, Dr. Katikireddi said, "Our study finds that the poorest in society are at a greater risk of alcohol's harmful impacts on health, but this is not because they are drinking more but because of a worse impact on health due to poverty.”

Alcohol abuse affects the hippocampus region of the brain and results in a loss of body-mind control. The combination of addiction and patriarchal notions leads the consumers to outpour their rage onto women. Women then become the victims as they are expected to be ‘good wives’ and accept all kinds of violence in the name of marriage. Moreover, the stigma around divorce shuns women from leaving their abusive husbands too.

Similarly, drug abuse has also been prevalent in India since recorded history. According to Indian research papers, slums were found to be the most vulnerable spaces, and tobacco, the most common drug abused. This affects the health of the consumer but also holds the evident capacity of leading to violence against women.

Moreover, domestic violence affects women in irreparable ways. The female labor participation rate in India has fallen down to 20.3% in 2019 and this financial dependence compels them to not leave the abuser in various cases. The pandemic has also led to an increase in the use of alcohol due to high levels of stress and anxiety, especially among the vulnerable sections of society which has, in turn, led to more cases of domestic violence.

One solution to the same issue is education. It can be a revolutionary way to end the perpetual cycle of poverty in families and provide social agency to women to help them raise their voice. But, women in India are compelled to drop out of school due to period poverty, lack of sanitation, housework, and child marriage. Thus, ensuring proper literacy and education of women, especially for those working in blue-collared jobs, becomes a matter of fighting patriarchal notions at its core. Along with this, the working-class men need to be taught about the adverse effects of excessive alcohol or drug consumption and the potential violence it perpetuates along with information on how to cope with stress-related issues on a daily basis.

Even the victims of domestic violence resort to substance abuse as a coping mechanism. According to WHO, women who are abused are 15 times more likely to abuse alcohol. Failure to address the substance abuse problems of female domestic violence victims also has the possibility of increasing their mental health problems. Therefore, addressing the correlation between domestic violence and substance abuse becomes even more important.

The country has taken a few steps to curb the issue, for instance, the Supreme Court of India recently passed an order to increase the distance between alcohol shops and schools and other such institutions but this acts as a band-aid and not a permanent solution. The real answer to our problem is providing people, especially from underprivileged sections of society, with literacy around the topic of substance abuse and its intersection with domestic abuse. Major policy changes and a method to break the poverty cycle would be a step forward in our fight to stop domestic violence.

As a NGO working towards ensuring financial stability and dignity of labour, BTS believes this is an issue that needs to be brought into light as addiction and violence directly affect the lives of the working class, especially women. BTS has ensured an easy access to such information through modules and YouTube videos directly for the beneficiaries. And it has directed female victims to helpline centres and tried to empower them at every step of the process. In the end, I would like to reiterate that the grave hardships of the labor force due to the intersection of substance abuse and domestic violence are felt everyday. And there is an urgent need to form helpful policies and take constructive actions in order to ensure a dignified and equal life for those affected by it the most.