ALCOHOL, DRUGS, AND VIOLENCE

A review of the scientific literature on the relationship between alco hol and violence and that between drugs and violence is presented. A r eview and analysis of three major theoretical approaches to understand ing these relationships are also presented. A number of conclusions ar e reached on the basis of these efforts. First, despite a number of pu blished statements to the contrary, we find no significant evidence su ggesting that drug use is associated with violence. Second, there is s ubstantial evidence to suggest that alcohol use is significantly assoc iated with violence of all kinds. Third, recent theoretical efforts re viewed here have, despite shortcomings, led to significant new underst anding of how and why alcohol and drugs are related to violence. Fourt h, these theoretical models and a growing number of empirical studies demonstrate the importance of social context for understanding violenc e and the ways in which alcohol and drugs are related to violence. Fif th, the shortcomings of these theoretical models and the lack of defin itive empirical tests of these perspectives point to the major directi ons where future research on the relationship between alcohol and viol ence, and between drugs and violence, is needed.