Healing from addiction could curb gender-based violence.

During the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV, COVED seeks to break the connection between addiction and gender-based violence. Healing from trauma and addiction could mean ending violence.

Introduction

Addictions be alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography, social media, work, or toxic relationship dependency, are deeply interconnected to Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Each fuels the other, trapping survivors in cycles of trauma, shame, and vulnerability (WHO, 2014; UNODC, 2018).

Understanding this two-way relationship is critical for communities, policymakers, and health practitioners who aim to protect families and promote equitable development.

How Addiction Drives GBV

• Alcohol & Drugs: Impaired judgment, emotional dysregulation, and aggression increase the risk of intimate partner violence (Foran & O’Leary, 2008; García-Moreno et al., 2013).
• Gambling: Financial instability, secrecy, and coercive control often lead to economic abuse (Dowling et al., 2016).
• Pornography / Sex Addiction: Distorted views of consent and power increase sexual coercion and emotional abuse (Wright et al., 2016).
• Work Addiction: Chronic neglect and stress can create conditions for psychological abuse (Clark et al., 2016).
• Social Media Addiction: Cyber-surveillance, jealousy, and controlling behaviours intensify relational abuse (Elphinston & Noller, 2011).
• Toxic Relationship Addiction: Emotional dependency traps individuals in abusive cycles (Dutton & Painter, 1993).

How GBV Drives Addiction

• Survivors experience trauma, depression, anxiety, and PTSD (Devries et al., 2013).
• Substances or compulsive behaviors are often used as coping mechanisms.
• What begins as survival may develop into dependency, reinforcing vulnerability to further abuse (UNODC, 2018).

Cameroon-Specific Evidence Box 

Did You Know?

• Studies in Cameroon indicate that intimate partner violence is often linked with alcohol misuse, with higher prevalence in households experiencing economic stress (Mota et al., 2021).
• Gambler’s addiction, pornography, and social media-related compulsions are emerging challenges among youth in urban regions.
• Women and children in rural and conflict-affected zones are particularly vulnerable due to limited access to mental health services and cultural stigma against reporting violence.
• Economic dependency and traditional gender norms often trap survivors in abusive households, allowing both addiction and GBV to thrive silently.

Consequences

• Physical injury, mental health disorders, social isolation, and chronic illness.
• Disrupted family dynamics and caregiving roles.
• Children exposed to these cycles face increased emotional distress, poor educational outcomes, and higher risk of future addiction or violence (WHO, 2014).
• Societal costs include healthcare burden, lost productivity, and increased social inequality (UN Women, 2022).

Breaking the Cycle

1. Integrated Services: GBV and addiction programs should screen for each other.
2. Trauma-Informed Care: Mental health services must address PTSD, depression, and chronic stress.
3. Economic Empowerment: Livelihood programs and social protection can reduce vulnerability.
4. Community Engagement: Faith leaders, traditional authorities, and civil society should promote accountability and stigma reduction.
5. Policy Action: Coordinated interventions across health, social protection, and justice sectors are critical.

Call to Action

• To survivors: You are not weak, and you are not to blame.
• To communities: Silence protects harm; awareness protects people.
• To institutions: Integrated action is not optional—it is essential.

Ending GBV requires confronting addiction. Addressing addiction requires healing trauma.

#CowedAgainstAddiction#YouForOthers#BreakTheCycle#AddictionAwareness