Linking drug-related activities with experiences of partner violence: a focus group study of women in methadone treatment.

This study examines various contexts in which drug-related activities may be linked with intimate partner violence among women in methadone treatment. We conducted 14 focus groups with 68 predominantly Latina and African American women, who reported recent partner abuse. Guided by Goldstein's tripartite model, gender theory, and trauma theory, our inquiry explored how partner violence may be related to psychopharmacological effects of drug use and to conflicts over procuring and splitting drugs. We also examined whether women used drugs to cope with the violence. Across the focus groups, women reported that their low social status and perceived sexual availability as "drug-using women," their partner's substance use, their own verbal aggression under the influence of crack and alcohol, and conflicts over procuring and splitting drugs played a role in their victimization. The findings further suggest that conflicts over gender role expectations interact with drug-related activities, increasing the likelihood of a violent outcome.