Domestic abuse - has there been any progress?

Given the rise in drug and alcohol abuse/dependency, I suspect a rise on domestic abuse is inevitable. 20 plus years ago, the when working on a safeguarding unit, we kept figures on the number of domestic abuse incidents involved in the families of children whose names had been included on an at risk register. It was something like 80%.

I do feel uneasy about programmes like Jeremy Kyle, where people scream and shout at each other. I wonder if this kind of publicity normalises behaviour that as a society we'd do well to reduce

Iam64 I wonder how many of those 80% have gone down the same the same route over the years,I too feel the type of programme you mention send out the wrong message that behaviour like that is acceptable or the norm.

You may have a point there iam64 but my impression is that a lot of abuse is about control - rather than the loss of it when impaired by drink or drugs.
Which drugs were you thinking about. Steroids can put people on a short fuse but cannabis and heroin tend to have the opposite effect don't they.
I wonder if attitudes towards women are actually worse in some respects.
But we don't actually know that it has increased because most of it does not get reported, does it?

Jess I agree abuse is often about control. A lot of controlling individuals have psychological/emotional/psychiatric problems that underly their behaviour. Put any form of disinhibiting substance into these people, and their behaviour can become violent, is my experience.
Steroids are scary drugs and the link between that and violence is established. I wonder about the link between personality and drug of choice. I've met too many angry, violent men whose drugs of choice were steroids, amphetamine, cocaine and alcohol. Many heroin users will use anything if they can't get hold of their drug of choice.
It's grim isn't it. Before anyone points this out, I am aware that some women behave in similarly aggressive ways as the men I'm talking about.

Yes I do wonder about a certain high profile murder trial and whether performance enhancing drugs may be part of the story.