People who abuse their partners often coerce them into using substances, including deliberately sabotaging their recovery attempts. This insidious form of power and control cuts across every facet of a survivor’s life and has potentially lethal effects. Forcibly keeping a survivor reliant on substances can harm their mental and physical health, impact their relationship with and custody of their children, interfere with their housing and employment, and create other barriers to getting help.
During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we mourn those who have lost their lives to domestic violence and celebrate the resiliency of all survivors. We reflect on the progress we have made and connect with those engaged in this vital work. Join us as we share knowledge about substance use coercion and examine ways that we can all make a difference in the work we do.
Presenters will discuss the current state of research on substance use coercion; insights and recommendations from people with lived experience; and innovative responses to the intersecting issues of substance use, intimate partner violence, and substance use coercion. We will conclude with recommendations for addressing substance use coercion by federal agencies and by the domestic and sexual violence violence, substance use, and research fields.
Sponsored by:
US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau’s (FYSB) Family Violence Prevention and Services (FVPSA) Program and NCDVTMH