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Reconsidering the Relationship Between Alcohol and Lethal Violence

NCJ Number
229764
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 22 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2007 Pages: 66-84
Author(s)
Scott Phillips; Jacqueline Matusko; Elizabeth Tomasovic
Date Published
January 2007
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study explored the relationship between alcohol and lethal violence using an event-based design.
Abstract
Prior event-based research regarding the relationship between alcohol and violence suffers from important limitations, including the absence of a comparison group, an inappropriate comparison group, or a comparison group that could be considered appropriate but does not control for potential confounders. To overcome such limitations, we use a matched pair design. Drawing on interviews with men imprisoned for an aggravated assault or homicide committed in response to a conflict with another man, we examine matched pairs of violent and nonviolent conflicts nested within respondents. The results suggest that guns mediate the relationship between alcohol and lethal male-male violence. Tables, notes, and references (Published Abstract)