Link Between Drinking, Spousal Abuse Remains Unclear
A study conducted by Social Sectors Development Strategies Inc. in Boston, Mass., finds no conclusive evidence that heavy drinking causes spousal abuse, Health Day News reported Dec. 15.
After analyzing data dating back 13 years on more than 30,000 male U.S. Army soldiers, the researchers concluded that even though having a history of heavy drinking increased the risk for spousal abuse, it was not the proximate cause of abusive behavior in men who drank.
“In the majority of cases where there's spousal abuse, neither the victim nor the perpetrator were drinking,” said Nicole Bell, a longtime researcher into issues of alcoholism and abuse and vice president of Social Sectors Development Strategies. “So even though there's an association, drinking is not causal and it's not always necessary — not everybody who drinks heavily is going to beat their wives, and not everybody who beats their wives up drinks.”
The findings are published in the December 2004 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
Bell, N., Harford, T., McCarroll, J., & Senier, L. (2004) Drinking and Spouse Abuse Among U.S. Army Soldiers. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, 28(12): 1890-1897.
