Alcohol Use and Perceived Social and Emotional Consequences Among Perpetrators of General and Sexual Aggression

• NCJ Number: 237833
• Journal: Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 25 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2010 Pages: 699-715
• Author(s): Cynthia A. Stappenbeck; Kim Fromme
• Date Published: April 2010
• Length: 17 pages
• Grant Number(s): R01-AA013967,5T32-AA07471
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services; Waggoner Ctr for Alcohol & Addiction Research
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the relation among alcohol use, alcohol-related aggression expectancies, and the perceived negative consequences of perpetrating general and sexual aggression.

Abstract

Participants (N = 2,941; 59 percent female) were incoming college freshmen who reported on the last 3 months of their senior year of high school. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses for general aggression reveal that heavy alcohol consumption at the time of the aggression and strong alcohol-related aggression expectancies were associated with more frequent social and emotional consequences. For sexual aggression, similar regression analyses found that any alcohol use at the time of the aggression, but not outcome expectancies, was associated with social and emotional consequences. Among individuals who perpetrated general and sexual aggression, consuming alcohol at the time of the aggression was positively associated with perceived negative social and emotional consequences. Results do not support the idea that alcohol is used as an excuse for aggressive behavior. (Published Abstract)