What is the link between alcohol and violence between partners?

Alcohol plays a role in a substantial number of domestic violence incidents, especially in the case of abusing husbands. Often both the offender and the victim have been drinking.

The relationship between alcohol and domestic violence is complex and the precise role of alcohol remains unclear. Heavy drinking has been strongly linked to violence between partners and to a lesser extent to violence towards others, possibly because proximity increases the opportunities for violence.

Studies conducted for instance in Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, India, and Colombia show that a large fraction of reported domestic violence incidents is related to alcohol use by the male partner. For instance, in Uganda, 52% of the women who recently experienced domestic violence reported that their partner had consumed alcohol, and in India, 33% of abusing husbands were using alcohol.

There is a need to better understand the possible role of alcohol intoxication or dependence in the processes through which incidents escalate into violence. There is little doubt that alcohol consumption has many social consequences, but more quantifiable data is needed to enable meaningful comparisons between countries.