Alcohol, Drugs, and Violent vs. Nonviolent Crime
Alcohol, Drugs, and Violent vs. Nonviolent Crime
Media attention was directed at drug use as a cause of violence for decades. Meanwhile, empirical evidence centered on alcohol. This chapter evaluates the ability of alcohol and drug use to differentially predict violent compared to nonviolent offending. We collected a comprehensive set of empirical studies, published in English, that report findings related to this issue. The body of literature indicates that violent and nonviolent offenders drink a great deal of alcohol. The pattern of findings suggests that while nonviolent offenders may drink more often, violent offenders are more likely to be intoxicated at the time of their crime. In spite of the high degree of mass media attention and wide assumptions in the general public, evidence on drug use and violence was very mixed and depended on the measure of drug use.
Keywords: Alcohol, Drug Use, Substance Use, Violence, Violent Crime, Aggression, Marijuana, Cocaine, Heroin
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