NCJ Number
75707
Journal
International Review of Criminal Policy Issue: 32 Dated: (1976) Pages: 21-25
Date Published
1976
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The complexities and issues of public policy which arise in attempting to apply modern scientific methods to the observed association between violent behavior and the use of alcohol are considered.
Abstract
Pharmacological considerations which can complicate scientific study linking violent behavior and the use of alcohol focus on the ways in which alcohol affects behavior. Pharmacological studies have analyzed the ways in which alcohol affects behavior according to dosage levels, have linked higher alcohol levels with lethal outcomes, have questioned the effects of psychoactive agents other than ethyl alcohol which are naturally found in alcoholic beverages, and have questioned the validity of linking alcohol to violent behavior because alcohol is often used in conjunction with other drugs. Behavioral factors also complicate scientific analysis of alcohol and violence; alcohol tolerance, age, the developmental level of the alcohol user, and previous experience with alcohol all may influence behavioral responses. Further, personality characteristics of individuals are frequently related to their response to drugs and tendencies toward abuse. Although caution must be used in interpreting data from studies linking alcohol to aggressive behavior and from empirical observation and crime statistics, substantial evidence exists that when drugs are implicated in a serious crime, alcohol is the drug most often present. Policy makers need to focus more attention on problem youth in general and to form public policy directed towards reducing intoxicant-related crimes with greater emphasis on alcohol instead of on the more exotic drugs. A list of 34 references is included.