GENDER VIOLENCE IN THE LIFE STORIES OF WOMEN CRACK USERS

Abstract

Gender-based violence has been identified as a recurrent issue in the lives of women with crack use disorder. From this perspective, the aim of this study is to investigate the existence of gender-based violence in the life histories of female users, relating it to the onset and severity of drug use. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative study that interviewed 50 women who use crack through a structured socio-behavioral questionnaire covering sociodemographic profile, substance use, and violence. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with SPSS software, version 27.0. The results showed a predominant profile of Black women, mothers, with low educational attainment and precarious employment. Most of the interviewed women had experienced violence throughout their lives, with psychological violence being the most prevalent, occurring in 98% of cases. Analyses demonstrated that having been a victim of psychological, physical, and sexual violence in childhood was related to an earlier onset of crack use compared to non-victims. The conclusion highlighted the importance of an intersectional analysis in relation to the profile found, as well as a significant relationship between gender-based violence and substance use in the trajectories of the interviewed women.