Alcohol in Human Violence

Book excerpt: Despite enormous research and media interest in both the effects of alcohol consumption and the causes of violent behavior, little theoretically integrated empirical work has been published on the actual relationship between the two. Reporting on the most ambitious field study undertaken on naturally occurring anger and aggression--the first one to examine the specific contribution of alcohol consumption to different levels of everyday violence--this volume bridges a gap in the literature and provides illuminating new insights. The empirical data in ALCOHOL IN HUMAN VIOLENCE originate from a multimethod study of experiences of threats and physical violence among the general population of a Canadian city; analyses of all incoming reports of violent crime; and observations systematically carried out in local bars and taverns. The book combines quantitative analyses with qualitative reasoning to examine the processes that connect drinking and violence. Confounding conventional wisdom that assumes a straightforward cause-and-effect relationship, the book shows that there are a number of psychological and social variables that are as important as biochemical and neuropharmacological reactions. Examining these factors, abundant data is presented on the nature of violence--from pushing and slapping to the use of a weapon--and the extent of injury received when the victims are men, women, of different ages, in different locations, and in various relationships. Throughout, numerous anecdotal illustrations from the study and the news media highlight points of central theoretical concern.