The behavior of adult alcoholic men abused as children

Thirty-one adult alcoholic men who suffered physical abuse during childhood (defined as repetitive, physically injurious punishment) were compared with a control group of alcoholic men without histories of child abuse. A similar comparison was made for an age-matched subgroup of 21 men. As adults, the abused alcoholic men demonstrated significantly more legal difficulties, domestic violence, and violence against authority figures than the controls. They also had a higher incidence of serious suicide attempts, suicidal drinking, and increased level of pervasive and situational anxiety. The behavioral consequences in adult alcoholic men abused as children were consistent with those seen in follow-up studies of abused children. Recognition of a history of child abuse was often important in the treatment of the aggressive alcoholic patient.