Exposure to violence among substance-dependent pregnant women and their children
Received 24 March 2005; received in revised form 21 September 2005; accepted 22 September 2005.
Abstract
This study examined the prevalence of exposure to violence among drug-dependent pregnant women attending a multidisciplinary perinatal substance abuse treatment program. Participants (N = 715) completed the Violence Exposure Questionnaire within 7 days after their admission to the program. Their rates of lifetime abuse ranged from 72.7% for physical abuse to 71.3% for emotional abuse to 44.5% for sexual abuse. Their rates of abuse remained high during their current pregnancy, ranging from 40.9% for emotional abuse to 20.0% for physical abuse to 7.1% for sexual abuse. Nearly one third of the women reported having physical fights with their current partner (lifetime), and 25% of these women reported that children were present during those physical fights. A total of 30% of the women perceived a need for counseling regarding exposure to violence for themselves and 15% perceived a need for counseling for their children. Study findings confirm previous reports of high rates of abuse and violence exposure among substance-abusing pregnant women and their strong need for counseling for psychosocial sequelae. This study affirmed the value of routine screening for violence exposure in this at-risk population as well as the need to train therapists in specific strategies for helping such women address this complex array of problems.
cJohns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
dVirginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
eBloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
fJohns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA
Corresponding author. Center for Addiction and Pregnancy, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, 4940 Eastern Ave. D-5, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. Tel.: +1 410 550 3414; fax: +1 410 550 3027.