Alcohol and violence – exploring the relationship

Abstract

Purpose

Concerns about the alcohol – violence correlation are increasing and impacting on social policy in the UK and throughout the world. It is not certain, however, how much, or if at all, violence is linked to alcohol consumption. The purpose of this paper is to contest often widely held notions and accepted views about alcohol-related violence and to highlight a belief that the link between the two is much more complex than it is sometimes portrayed.

Design/methodology/approach

Review and analysis of the recent literature.

Findings

Many studies throughout the literature claim to evidence a biological or pharmacological explanation for the relationship between alcohol and violence in terms of the effect alcohol has on the central nervous system and ensuing behaviour. Other authors who focused on the fact that the relationship may be mediated by all kinds of other personal, social, environmental and cultural factors argue that the effects of alcohol depend upon the social context in which the drinking occurs. From this analysis, four main perspectives and subsequent theories emerge which appear to define the concept.

Originality/value

By challenging what is often seen by some as a mechanistic causal link between alcohol and violence, clinicians and other professionals working with those individuals affected by alcohol dependence can suggest interventions that help perpetrators of violence work towards addressing their aggression that are not necessarily dependent upon how successful they are in reducing their alcohol consumption.

Citation

Smyth, C. (2013), "Alcohol and violence – exploring the relationship", Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 258-266. https://doi.org/10.1108/DAT-04-2013-0019