Prevention of alcohol-related violence

Abstract

Four target areas in the prevention of alcohol-related violence are discussed: alcohol-specific, individual, situational and (sub)cultural factors. Important alcohol-specific factors are those determining the prevalence and duration of intoxication events in the population. Traditional prevention of alcohol problems aims to cut down overall alcohol use and/or favors beverages of low alcohol content. More specific prevention programs would locate individuals who are highly violence-prone under alcohol intoxication and specify characteristics of situations and (sub)cultures that are conducive to alcohol-related violence. Presently prevention of bar violence targets the widest range of high-risk factors. Prevention of alcohol-related conflicts and escalation to violence in interactional situations is perhaps the least systematically developed area. The recent emphasis on violence as a public health problem has brought forth new prevention programs. Studying how these general programs affect alcohol-related violence and coordinating the two types of efforts will be a key task for the future.