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Alcohol/Drugs and Violence (From Insights Into Violence in Contemporary Canadian Society, P 216-224, 1987, James M MacLatchie, ed. -- See NCJ-122437)

NCJ Number
122459
Author(s)
L Lightfoot
Date Published
1987
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Data suggest that when persons use alcohol, the crimes they commit are more likely to be violent.
Abstract
For this review "expressive interpersonal violence" is defined as "an actual or an attempted physical attack by one or more persons on another person for the purpose of inflicting physical injury or death." Research in the field of alcohol, drug abuse, and violence has focused on researchers' areas of specialization, notably biological, sociocultural, and psychological perspectives. A purely biological or physiological theory of alcohol as a disinhibiter of aggressive behavior does not adequately account for the variability of aggressive and violent behavior observed following consumption of alcohol and drugs. Cross-cultural studies suggest that the cultural meanings and the expected effects of drinking affect the expression of violent behavior. From the psychological perspective, experimental studies with humans in the laboratory suggest that alcohol is a potent causal antecedent of aggressive behavior. Overall, research findings indicate that who will be prone to aggression under the influence of alcohol is determined by a complex set of biological, psychological, and social variables. The author conducted interviews with a sample of inmates at the Ontario Region Federal Correctional Institution to collect information on key social, demographic, cognitive, and substance abuse data. The study concluded that with the use of alcohol and drugs, crime is more likely to be violent.

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