NCJ Number
234832
Date Published
May 2011
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study from the Australian Institute of Criminology examined the effect of alcohol consumption on individuals arrested for assault on either a Friday or a Saturday night.
Abstract
Major findings from this study include: individuals charged with assault on a Friday or Saturday night were more likely to have consumed alcohol within the past 48 hours and were more likely to attribute its consumption as a factor in the assault; individuals charged with assault who had been drinking within the past 48 hours were more likely to have been mixing drinks the last time they consumed alcohol; and individuals charged with assault who had consumed alcohol within the past 48 hours, consumed substantially larger amounts of alcohol than non-offenders, especially if they had been mixing drinks. This study examined the consumption of alcohol by offenders arrested on a Friday or Saturday night and charged with assault in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a range of alcohol harm reduction strategies. Data for the study were obtained from interviews with 170 assault offenders arrested on Friday and Saturday nights. The interviews were conducted as part of the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program. The findings from the study indicate the patterns of alcohol consumption among offenders arrested for assault and provide valuable insight into the potential effectiveness of alcohol harm reduction strategies. Limitations of the study are discussed. Tables, figures, and references