NCJ Number
104440
Date Published
1986
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Addressing the problem of drunk driving among women requires both programs that respond to women's particular needs and a coordinated outreach effort to law enforcement agencies and the court system to increase the apprehension and referral of women to drinking and driving programs.
Abstract
Women are not being arrested, convicted, or referred for drunk driving in numbers equal to their involvement in the problem. They make up 35-50 percent of the alcoholic population but only 9-13 percent of those arrested or referred to drunk driving programs. In addition, programs in which women are in the minority experience the same problems that alcoholic women encounter in traditional treatment programs that are not oriented to their specific needs. Female drinkers experience extra stigmatization, which they tend to internalize, increasing their denial and isolation. Effective alcoholism treatment programs need to reflect the differences between women's and men's lives in American culture. Women need programs and groups that examine the connections between their recovery issues and their status as women. Drunk driver programs should include all-female groups and followup procedures that deal with women's needs for child care, safe and comfortable facilities, and vocational training. Law enforcement and court personnel need training about societal myths regarding women and how to avoid the roles of protector or enabler. Finally, the failure of research and programming to address women's specific needs perpetuates the denial of the existence and seriousness of women's problems with alcohol. 28 references.