The role of alcohol in physical assault perpetration and victimization

Objective: This study examines the influence of lifetime alcohol use and dr inking-in-the-event on the risk of physical assault perpetration and victim ization while controlling for the effects of additional demographic and per sonality characteristics known to be associated with violence or alcohol us e. Method: Secondary analyses were performed on data collected for the 1990 National Alcohol Survey, which included in-person interviews with 2,058 ad ults (58% female) residing within the 48 contiguous United States. Results: Approximately 11.5% of the sample reported having committed a physical ass ault, and 16.6% of the respondents reported having been the victim of a phy sical assault, since the age of 12 years. Gender, age, education, lifetime drinking history and an interaction between age and impulsivity were associ ated with physical assault perpetration. Marital status, impulsivity, and l ifetime drinking history were associated with physical assault victimizatio n. Analyses performed on the subsample of individuals reporting a physical assault indicated that drinking-in-the-event by both the perpetrator and vi ctim was associated with men's, and not women's, experiences. Conclusions: The results support a strong and stable relationship between alcohol use an d physical assault. Previous findings regarding men and alcohol-related agg ression are supported, but the results contradict past conclusions pertaini ng to alcohol and women's victimization.