Alcohol in Human Violence

The empirical data in Alcohol In Human Violence originate from a multimethod study of experiences of threats and physical violence among the general population of a Canadian city; analyses of all incoming reports of violent crime; and observations systematically carried out in local bars and taverns. The book combines quantitative analyses with qualitative reasoning to examine the processes that connect drinking and violence. Confounding conventional wisdom that assumes a straightforward cause-and-effect relationship, the book shows that there are a number of psychological and social variables that are as important as biochemical and neuropharmacological reactions. Examining these factors, abundant data is presented on the nature of violence--from pushing and slapping to the use of a weapon--and the extent of injury received when the victims are men, women, of different ages, in different locations, and in various relationships. Throughout, numerous anecdotal illustrations from the study and the news media highlight points of central theoretical concern.

Despite enormous research and media interest in both the effects of alcohol consumption and the causes of violent behavior, little theoretically integrated empirical work has been published on the actual relationship between the two. Reporting on the most ambitious field study undertaken on naturally occurring anger and aggression--the first one to examine the specific contribution of alcohol consumption to different levels of everyday violence--this volume bridges a gap in the literature and provides illuminating new insights.

The empirical data in ALCOHOL IN HUMAN VIOLENCE originate from a multimethod study of experiences of threats and physical violence among the general population of a Canadian city; analyses of all incoming reports of violent crime; and observations systematically carried out in local bars and taverns. The book combines quantitative analyses with qualitative reasoning to examine the processes that connect drinking and violence. Confounding conventional wisdom that assumes a straightforward cause-and-effect relationship, the book shows that there are a number of psychological and social variables that are as important as biochemical and neuropharmacological reactions. Examining these factors, abundant data is presented on the nature of violence--from pushing and slapping to the use of a weapon--and the extent of injury received when the victims are men, women, of different ages, in different locations, and in various relationships. Throughout, numerous anecdotal illustrations from the study and the news media highlight points of central theoretical concern.

Booknews

A thoughtful study that describes the complexity and subtlety of the interaction between ethanol and the human organism--an interaction in which psychological and social variables are as important as biochemical and neuropharmacological ones. It is also helpful in understanding the antecedents to violence, among which alcohol is relatively rare in comparison with many other variables. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Kai Pernanen received his graduate degrees in sociology and philosophy from the University of Helsinki, Finland. He has conducted social research on the use of alcohol and drugs and criminological research on parolees and probationers. He has worked on analyses of validity problems in survey research, attibutions of causality in alcohol related social problems, and on theory development for the explanation of drunken behavior. Over the past 15 years, his work has focused primarily on the connections between alcohol use and violence. He has been associated with research organizations and universities in Canada, the United States, Finland, and Sweden. Currently, he is affiliated with the University of Uppsala, Sweden, where he is replicating the Canadian study described in this book.