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The Relationship of Alcohol to Injury in Assault Cases

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Recent Developments in Alcoholism

Part of the book series: Recent Development in Alcoholism ((RDIA,volume 13))

Abstract

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.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Prevention Research Branch, Division of Clinical and Prevention Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, Maryland, 20892-7003

    Susan Ehrlich Martin

  2. Department of Sociology, Univesrsity of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 19716

    Ronet Bachman

Authors
  1. Susan Ehrlich Martin
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  2. Ronet Bachman
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York

    Marc Galanter

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© 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Martin, S.E., Bachman, R. (2002). The Relationship of Alcohol to Injury in Assault Cases. In: Galanter, M., et al. Recent Developments in Alcoholism. Recent Development in Alcoholism, vol 13. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47141-8_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47141-8_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-306-45358-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-306-47141-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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