In addition to physical, emotional, and, above all, sexual abuse in childhood, alcohol/drug problems are the most significant risk factors for violence against women in their immediate social environment. Approximately half of women with addiction problems experience severe physical violence, and 30 to 60 percent experience sexual violence in their immediate social environment.
The alarming extent of violence in the lives of women with addictions is rarely discussed among experts. Even in addiction support facilities, women often do not feel protected from assault. Addiction
counseling specifically for women is not offered in local addiction support services. And just as there is a lack of specific knowledge about violence against women and protection against violence in the field of addiction support, there is a lack of specific knowledge about addiction problems in the field of women's counseling. And in Mainz, there is no violence protection facility that takes in women with (severe) addiction problems.

The UG Sucht (Addiction Working Group) has therefore formulated the following objectives for its work:

• Relief for women with addictions through information and counseling, initiation of self-help groups, development of guided group offerings
• Improving counseling work through cooperation between violence protection and addiction counseling: case-related exchange, tandem counseling, introduction of addiction support consultation hours in women's projects, professional development through mutual training, joint development of women-specific addiction counseling
• Improving protection against violence in acute crisis situations, creating safe places in contact centers

An information sheet for addiction support facilities with information on violence protection and women's counseling centers has already been launched. And with the cooperation of the municipal addiction support service at UG Sucht, a first step has been taken towards cooperation between addiction support and anti-violence work in Mainz.

Members of the UG Sucht (Addiction Working Group) are: Poverty & Health; Women's Office; Women's Shelter; Intervention Center; Juvente; SOLWODI; Social Services Department, Community Psychiatry, Addiction Support of the City of Mainz, Wendepunkt