The Association of Drinking Pattern with Aggression Involving Alcohol and with Verbal versus Physical Aggression

Abstract

In a general population survey of 1,019 Ontario adults, the present study examined the relationships of (a) drinking pattern (i.e., drinking frequency, heavy episodic drinking (HED), and hazardous drinking with alcohol involvement in aggression (i.e., no aggression, aggression without alcohol, and aggression involving alcohol); (b) drinking pattern with level of aggression (i.e., no aggression, verbal, and physical aggression); and (c) alcohol involvement with level of aggression (i.e., physical versus verbal). All three drinking-pattern measures were associated with aggression involving alcohol but not with aggression not involving alcohol. HED and hazardous drinking were associated with physical aggression (compared with no aggression). Alcohol involvement in aggression was associated with physical aggression (vs. verbal). The findings suggest that, while a pattern of heavy or hazardous drinking is associated with increased risk of aggression, this increased risk only applies to alcohol-related aggression and drinking at the time may contribute to severity of aggression.