Sharon Bernards

Alcohol May Not Cause Partner Violence But It Seems to Make It Worse: A Cross National Comparison of the Relationship Between Alcohol and Severity of Partner Violence:

This study assesses whether severity of physical partner aggression is associated with alcohol consumption at the time of the incident, and whether the relationship between drinking and aggression severity is the same for men and women and across different countries. National or large regional general population surveys were conducted in 13 countries as part of the GENACIS collaboration. Respondents described the most physically aggressive act done to them by a partner in the past 2 years, rated the severity of aggression on a scale of 1 to 10, and reported whether either partner had been drinking when the incident occurred. Severity ratings were significantly higher for incidents in which one or both partners had been drinking compared to incidents in which neither partner had been drinking. The relationship did not differ significantly for men and women or by country. We conclude that alcohol consumption may serve to potentiate violence when it occurs, and this pattern holds across a diverse set of cultures. Further research is needed that focuses explicitly on the nature of alcohol’s contribution to intimate partner aggression. Prevention needs to address the possibility of enhanced dangers of intimate partner violence when the partners have been drinking and eliminate any systemic factors that permit alcohol to be used as an excuse. Clinical services for perpetrators and victims of partner violence need to address the role of drinking practices, including the dynamics and process of aggressive incidents that occur when one or both partners have been drinking.

Alcohol-related negative consequences among drinkers around the world

AIMS This paper examines (i) gender and country differences in negative consequences related to drinking; (ii) relative rates of different consequences; and (iii) country-level predictors of consequences. DESIGN SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Multi-level analyses used survey data from the Gender, Alcohol, and Culture: An International Study (GENACIS) collaboration. MEASUREMENTS Measures included 17 negative consequences grouped into (i) high endorsement acute, (ii) personal and (iii) social. Country-level measures included average frequency and quantity of drinking, percentage who were current drinkers, gross domestic product (GDP) and Human Development Index (HDI). FINDINGS Overall, the three groupings of consequences were reported by 44%, 12% and 7% of men and by 31%, 6% and 3% of women, respectively. More men than women endorsed all consequences, but gender differences were greatest for consequences associated with chronic drinking and social consequences related to male roles. The highest prevalence of consequences was in Uganda and lowest in Uruguay. Personal and social consequences were more likely in countries with higher usual quantity, fewer current drinkers and lower scores on GDP and HDI. However, significant interactions with individual-level quantity indicated a stronger relationship between consequences and usual quantity among drinkers in countries with lower quantity, more current drinkers and higher scores on GDP and HDI. CONCLUSIONS Both gender and country need to be taken into consideration when assessing adverse drinking consequences. Individual measures of alcohol consumption and country-level variables are associated with experiencing such consequences. Additionally, country-level variables affect the strength of the relationship between usual quantity consumed by individuals and adverse consequences.

Does the relationship between depression and intimate partner aggression vary by gender, victim-perpetrator role, and aggression severity?

Research has shown a consistent link between intimate partner violence (IPV) and depression, although this association may vary by gender, role in IPV (victim, perpetrator, or bidirectional), and aggression severity. We evaluated these factors in a telephone survey of 14,063 Canadians. All three factors were found to affect the association of depression with IPV. Specifically, depression was more strongly associated with IPV by a partner (i.e., victimization) for women but with aggression toward a partner (i.e., perpetration) for men. Severity of aggression was associated with increased risk of depression for both one-sided and bidirectional aggression by a partner but more strongly for one-sided aggression toward a partner. These findings suggest that research, prevention, and treatment should focus on all roles in IPV, not just male-to-female aggression.

“Yes, I Do but Not with You”: Qualitative Analyses of Sexual/romantic Overture-Related Aggression in Bars and Clubs

Assaultive and aggressive behaviors related to sexual overtures are common in commercial drinking establishments (bars, pubs, and clubs). In this article, we examined the thematic content of 251 incidents of verbal and physical aggression related to sexual/romantic overtures documented by researcher-observers in a study of Toronto bars and clubs. Aggression was examined as it emerged in the following stages of the social interaction process: (a) sexual/romantic overtures that began aggressively; (b) initiators of sexual/romantic overtures who became aggressive later in the social interaction process; (c) aggression by targets of overtures; and (d) aggression by third parties. From these thematic analyses we identify the distinctions between predatory and genuine overtures and explore the potential role of the effects of alcohol. In these social overtures aggression occurred as part of the initial overture, during the interaction following the overture (i.e., aggression by the person who made the initial overture, by the target or third parties), and in response to rejection by the target. Targets of overtures responded aggressively to perceived inappropriate overtures; third parties played important aggressive and nonaggressive roles; and alcohol intoxication was identified as contributing to aggression in a number of ways. The theoretical significance and practical implications for prevention of the findings are discussed.

Behavioural indicators of motives for barroom aggression: implications for preventing bar violence.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS To develop new strategies for preventing violence in high-risk licensed premises, we identify behavioural indicators of apparent motives for aggression in these settings and outline the implications of different motivations for prevention. DESIGN AND METHODS The four types of motives for aggressive or coercive acts defined by the theory of coercive actions framed the research: gaining compliance, expressing grievances/restoring justice, attaining a favourable social identity and pursuing fun/excitement. Incidents of aggression from the Safer Bars evaluation research were analysed to identify behavioural indicators of each motivation. RESULTS Compliance-motivated aggression typically takes the form of unwanted social overtures, third party intervention to stop conflicts or staff rule enforcement. Prevention strategies include keeping the aggressors focus on compliance to avoid provoking grievance and identity motives that are likely to escalate aggression. Grievance motives are typically elicited by perceived wrongdoing and therefore prevention should focus on eliminating sources of grievances and adopting policies/practices to resolve grievances peacefully. Social identity motives are endemic to many drinking establishments especially among male patrons and staff. Prevention involves reducing identity cues in the environment, hiring staff who do not have identity concerns, and training staff to avoid provoking identity concerns. Aggression motivated by fun/excitement often involves low-level aggression where escalation can be prevented by avoiding grievances and attacks on identity. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Knowledge of behavioural indicators of motives can be used to enhance staff hiring and training practices, reduce environmental triggers for aggression, and develop policies to reduce motivation for aggression.

Predrinking, alcohol use, and breath alcohol concentration: a study of young adult bargoers

Predrinking (preloading, pregaming) has been found to be related to alcohol use and intoxication. However, most research relies on estimates of blood alcohol concentration and does not control for usual drinking pattern. We assessed whether predrinking was associated with subsequent alcohol consumption and breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) among 287 young adult bargoers (173 men [60.3%], Mage = 21.86 years, SD = 2.55 years) who were recruited in groups in an entertainment district of a midsized city in Ontario, Canada. We also examined whether predrinking by other group members interacted with individual predrinking in relation to amount consumed/BrAC. Adjusting for nesting of individuals within groups in hierarchical linear models, predrinkers were found to consume more drinks in the bar district and over the entire night compared to nonpredrinkers and had higher BrACs at the end of the night controlling for drinking pattern. A group- by individual-level interaction revealed that individual predrinking predicted higher BrACs for members of groups in which at least half of the group had been predrinking but not for members of groups in which less than half had been predrinking. This study confirms a direct link of predrinking with greater alcohol consumption and higher intoxication levels. Group- by individual-level effects suggest that group dynamics may have an important impact on individual drinking. Given that predrinking is associated with heavier consumption rather than reduced consumption at the bar, initiatives to address predrinking should include more effective policies to prevent intoxicated people from entering bars and being served once admitted.

Apparent Motives for Aggression in the Social Context of the Bar.

OBJECTIVE Little systematic research has focused on motivations for aggression and most of the existing research is qualitative and atheoretical. This study increases existing knowledge by using the theory of coercive actions to quantify the apparent motives of individuals involved in barroom aggression. Objectives were to examine: gender differences in the use of compliance, grievance, social identity, and excitement motives; how motives change during an aggressive encounter; and the relationship of motives to aggression severity. METHOD We analyzed 844 narrative descriptions of aggressive incidents observed in large late-night drinking venues as part of the Safer Bars evaluation. Trained coders rated each type of motive for the 1,507 bar patrons who engaged in aggressive acts. RESULTS Women were more likely to be motivated by compliance and grievance, many in relation to unwanted sexual overtures from men; whereas men were more likely to be motivated by social identity concerns and excitement. Aggressive acts that escalated tended to be motivated by identity or grievance, with identity motivation especially associated with more severe aggression. CONCLUSIONS A key factor in preventing serious aggression is to develop approaches that focus on addressing identity concerns in the escalation of aggression and defusing incidents involving grievance and identity motives before they escalate. In bars, this might include training staff to recognize and defuse identity motives and eliminating grievance-provoking situations such as crowd bottlenecks and poorly managed queues. Preventive interventions generally need to more directly address the role of identity motives, especially among men.

Street intercept method: An innovative approach to recruiting young adult high-risk drinkers

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS Many young adults are risky drinkers who are often missed by general population surveys. The aim of the present study was to assess factors affecting participation rates in a street intercept approach to recruiting young adult bar-goers for an online survey. DESIGN AND METHODS Two hundred eighty-seven young adults were approached as they entered the bar district of a medium-sized city on two consecutive weekend nights. Of these, 170 met eligibility requirements and were invited to complete a 2 min street survey for which they were paid

Service user and family member perspectives on services for mental health, substance use/addiction, and violence: a qualitative study of their goals, experiences and recommendations

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The Cross-Cultural Association Between Marital Status and Physical Aggression Between Intimate Partners

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