The relationship of alcohol to injury in assault cases

Little is known about the precise role of alcohol in the escalation of interactions from threats into physical violence or its contribution to the risk of injury. Experimental studies indicate that intoxicated subjects (allegedly) give markedly higher electric shocks than sober subjects and are less sensitive to their cries of pain. However, few studies in a naturalistic setting have examined whether aggressive acts become more serious and result in higher injury rates when the assailants have been drinking than when they are sober. This chapter reviews the two bodies of research on the effects of alcohol on interpersonal aggression and violence; presents new data on the escalation of threatening interactions to assaults and the likelihood of victim injury given an assault, using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey for the years 1992 and 1993; and suggests future directions for research based on our findings that alcohol's impact on both escalation and injury differed according to the victim-assailant relationship.