Abuse rife among users of drugs

Nearly two-thirds of female drug users contacting treatment
services in Scotland report having previously been physically
abused, researchers have found.

And more than a third of women contacting Scottish drug
treatment services have been sexually abused in the past, the study
by academics at the universities of Glasgow and York reveals.

Just under a quarter of male drug users also report physical
abuse and 6.9 per cent have been sexually abused, according to the
study, due to be published later this month in the journal Drugs:
Education, Prevention and Policy.

While most sexual abuse is perpetrated by relatives or family
friends, almost a third of women in the study had been abused by a
partner.

The authors argue that drug treatment services must use staff
trained in supporting those who have experienced abuse.