Abstract
The use of alcohol and other drugs has long been associated with violence. Yet relatively little is known about the effect of treatment on specific violent behaviors. This study examines violent behaviors in the National TreatmentImprovement Evaluation Study (NTIES), and assesses the extent to which treatment appears to reduce violence for each measured behavior. It also examines these reductions by gender, treatment modality, and whether the client wasa victim of violence in addition to being a perpetrator. The results indicate large reductions in violence among clients actively violent during the pretreatment period, with virtually no increase in violence among clients not actively violent during that same period, irrespective of gender, modality, or victimization status. On their face, the results strongly suggest that substance abuse treatment is effective in reducing violent behavior. Alternative explanations areproposed and assessed, followed by implications for policy, practice, and future research.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Anglin, M. D., & Perrochet, B. (1998). Drug use and crime: A historical review of research conducted at UCLA Drug Abuse Research Center. Substance Use & Misuse, 33(9), 1871–1914.
Bassuk, E., Melnick S., & Browne, A. (1998). Responding to the needs of low-income and homeless women who are survivors of family violence. JAMWA, 53, 57–64.
Fuller, R. K. (1988). Can treatment outcome research rely on alcoholics' self-report? Alcohol Health and Research World, 12, 180–187.
Goldstein, P. J. (1985). The drugs/violence nexus: A tripartite conceptual framework. Journal of Drug Issues, 13, 493–506.
Harwood, H. J., Hubbard, R. L., Collins, J. J., & Rachal, J. V. (1988). The costs of crime and the benefits of drug abuse treatment: A cost-benefit analysis using TOPS data. In C. G. Leukefeld & F.M. Tims (Eds.), Compulsory treatment of drug abuse: Research and clinical practice (NIDA Research Monograph 86, pp. 209–235). Rockville, MD: National Institute of Drug Abuse.
Hein, D., & Hein, N. (1988). Women, violence with intimates, substance abuse relevant theory, empirical findings and recommendations for future research. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 24(3), 419–438.
Hesselbrock, M., Babor, T. F. Hesselbrock, V., Meyer, R. E., & Workman, K. (1983). “Never believe an alcoholic?”: On the validity of self-report measures of alcohol dependence and related constructs. The International Journal of the Addictions, 18, 593–609.
Koenig, L., Denmead, G., Nguyen, R., Harrison, M.,& Harwood, H. (1999 April). The costs and benefits of substance abuse treatment: Findings from the National Treatment Improvement Study NTIES. NEDS meeting, April 1999, Rockville, MD.
Lipsey, M. (1990). Design sensitivity: Statistical power for experimental research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
McLellan, A. T. (1998, april). The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of treatment. Presented at the National Conference on Drug Addiction Treatment: From Research to Practice, Washington, DC, April 8–9.
Moss, H. B., & Tarter, R. B. (1993). Substance abuse, aggression and violence: What are the connections? The American Journal on Addictions, 2(2), 149–160.
Murphy, B. S., Stevens, S. J., McGrath, R. A., Wexler, H. K., & Reardon, D. (1998). Women and violence: A different look. Drugs and Society, 13(1/2), 131–144.
NOR C. (1997, March). The National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study final report. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
O'Farrell, T. J., Van Hutton, V., & Murphy, C. M. (1999). Domestic violence before and after alcoholism treatment: A two-year longitudinal study. Journal of Studies in Alcoholism, 60(3), 317–321.
Permnanen, K. (1991). Alcohol in human violence. New York: Guilford Press.
Polich, J. M. (1982). The validity of self-reports in alcoholism research. Addictive Behaviors, 7, 123–132.
Skinner, H. A. (1984). Assessing alcohol use by patients in treatment. In R. G. Smart, H. D. Cappell, F. B. Glaser, Y. Israel, H. Kalant, R. E. Popham, W. Schmidt, & E. M. Sellers (Eds.), Research advances in alcohol and drug Problems (Vol. 8). New York: Plenum Press.
Sobell, L. C.,& Sobell, M. B. (1981). Effects of three interview factors on the validity of alcohol abusers' self-reports. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 8, 225–237.
Svikis, D. S., Golden, A. S., Huggins, G. R., Pickens, R. W., McCaul, M. E., Velez, M. L., Rosendale, C. T., Brooner, R. K., Gazaway, P. M., Stitzer, M. L., & Ball, C. E. (1997). Cost-effectiveness of treatment for drug-abusing pregnant women. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 45, 105–113.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Orwin, R.G., Maranda, M. & Ellis, B. The Effectiveness of Substance Abuse Treatment in Reducing Violent Behavior. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment 22, 309–324 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007687622994
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007687622994