National and international research points to the magnitude of domestic violence, even underestimated, and some studies have identified the mother as the main aggressor of their children. We aimed in this study to identify the reasons why women who live in contexts of alcohol, drugs, and violence are aggressive with their children. The approach is qualitative, and data was collected using interviews and topical life histories. Through thematic content analysis, three central themes were inferred from the words of those interviewed: Living with loss: "... I was left to the world"; Living with alcoholism, poverty, and violence in families; and Living with affection and the lack of affection. We identified that the family and social context in which the women lived during their process of socialization in their original family home unites factors that contribute to manifest acts of violence against their children.
Domestic violence; Alcoholism; Substance-related disorders; Nursing