“Ignoring the presence of alcohol will neither eliminate its role in intimate partner violence nor prevent its being used as an excuse for violence. On the contrary, the more we know about how alcohol affects violence, including intimate partner violence, the better able we will be to develop effective prevention strategies and treatment responses.” [i]
What's the relationship between alcohol and crime?
Alcohol and crime have a closely interconnected relationship, with alcohol consumption being a contributing factor to crime and antisocial behaviour. Many studies have demonstrated significant, and positive, associations between alcohol consumption and rates of criminal violence, and we can say with some confidence that more drinking tends to result in more violence, and less drinking tends to result in less violence.
Alcohol plays a key role in crimes such as public order offences, assault and murder, however, alcohol also plays a significant role in the crimes of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. The consistent link between alcohol and domestic and gender-based violence has led to the recognition of alcohol as a “risk factor” for intimate partner violence by the World Health Organisation,[ii] however, there has been relatively little research examining how alcohol affects violence, at least in part because of concerns that such research would be used to justify the use of alcohol as an excuse for violence against women.[iii]
Alcohol is not, and never will be, an excuse or explanation for domestic violence. However, it is a known commercial driver of domestic violence. When alcohol is involved in domestic abuse, much of the evidence suggests that it is not the root cause, but rather a compounding factor, sometimes to a significant extent with research showing that alcohol use increases the occurrence and severity of domestic violence.
Scale of the problem in Ireland
Although there are no official statistics on alcohol use and the prevalence of domestic violence in Ireland, several studies have pointed to the extent of the problem with past research finding that alcohol was a factor in up to 70% of cases of domestic violence against women. [iv]
Similar past research by the National Crime Council in association with the Economic and Social Research Institute found that 11% of the population experienced severe abuse described as “a pattern of behaviour that had an actual or potential severe impact on their lives”. Findings from this survey also indicate that alcohol was involved ‘some of the time’ for 44% of respondents, ‘always’ for 27% of respondents and ‘never’ for 29%. As noted by the authors, ‘alcohol use may be more likely to lead to injury, so its role in triggering domestic abuse needs to be taken seriously’.
More recent research looking at alcohol’s harm to others also delved into how alcohol affects home life. Among respondents who reported being negatively affected by the drinking of people they knew, two in every five respondents (42%) experienced alcohol-related domestic problems.
The top five domestic harms due to the drinking of known harmful drinkers were:
- Family problems
- Having felt threatened at home
- Having been shoved or pushed
- Having less money for household expenses
- Having had to leave home.
Overall, the report found that more women than men experienced harm from another’s drinking in the domestic environment (46% vs 38%).
I frequently attend to victims of domestic abuse, and a key factor frequently present is alcohol, resulting in severe physical and psychological trauma to all parties, including children
Dr Eoin Fogarty
Consultant in Emergency Medicine
Cork University Hospital
International picture
Internationally, estimates of the occurrence of domestic abuse and alcohol vary country-wide. Europe-wide research in 2014 found that domestic violence is higher among women whose partners consume alcohol.
A survey of violence against women in 28 European countries, including Ireland, found that prevalence of physical and sexual violence by a current partner was significantly higher among partners of women who got drunk frequently. Prevalence of domestic violence among women whose partner doesn’t drink or doesn’t get drunk was 5%, compared to 23% amongst women whose current partner gets drunk at least once a month.
Jurisdictions such as Australia and New Zealand have carried out research on this issue calling it family violence and/or intimate partner violence. A comprehensive study on the range and magnitude of alcohol’s harm to others in Australia, the Australian Harm to Others Report, found tens of thousands of victims alcohol-related assaults and alcohol-related domestic violence over the two year period of their analysis.
While further research in the country found that a two-hour reduction in late-night trading hours in New South Wales, Australia, in the late 2000s was found to reduce reports of domestic violence by 29%. Unfortunately, the inverse was also proven when the New South Wales Government decided to extend alcohol sales by one hour in 2016, and a significant increase in family violence assaults was experienced.[v]
In-depth interviews of Australian women with lived experience of alcohol-related intimate partner violence demonstrated that they experience a common cycle of escalating violence, linked to the progression of intoxication by their partner.
A government commissioned report in New Zealand found that alcohol is linked to intimate partner violence and child maltreatment, highlighting that alcohol escalates aggressive incidents between intimate partners, that women experience more severe outcomes of violence than males when alcohol is involved and that child maltreatment is associated with alcohol use by carers and heavy alcohol use by carers is related to more severe child maltreatment outcomes. The report also noted that intimate partner violence and child maltreatment are related to the density of alcohol outlets in an area.
Despite the known role of alcohol as a commercial driver of DSGBV, a ‘Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches’ in Australia which looked at actions to end domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) found that “a failure to consider DFSV in alcohol policy has allowed unprecedented growth in alcohol availability, both in the density of liquor outlets and the length of online delivery hours.”.[vi] The Review recommended that alcohol legislation be examined and strengthened. As a result, the national government in Australia in September 2024 agreed to carry out such an examination.[vii]
Alongside this the South Australia government introduced draft legislation in December 2024 which includes clear primary objectives to prevent gendered violence and to restrict alcohol sales and delivery timeframes. The bill is the first of its kind in Australia and affirms the South Australian government’s commitment to reduce gendered violence through alcohol law reform. [viii] Such action is in keeping with the developing international frameworks, which guide the global agendas around violence against women and children, and which now recognise reducing harmful alcohol use as an important prevention strategy.[ix]
Alcohol is not, and never will be, an excuse or explanation for domestic violence. However, it is a known commercial driver of domestic violence. Therefore, reducing alcohol consumption and reducing alcohol-related violence should be key goals of government, which is especially true in relation to domestic violence and gender-based violence.
Role of government
The WHO states that public health agencies have a central role to play in the prevention of intimate partner violence including addressing its relationships with alcohol use.
Key responsibilities include to:
- Collect information on the prevalence of intimate partner violence, alcohol consumption levels and drinking patterns
- Conduct research on the links between alcohol consumption and intimate partner violence, both by victims and perpetrators, that improves understanding of risk and protective factors.
- Increase awareness regarding intimate partner violence in services addressing alcohol abuse.
- Measure information about the health, social and wider economic costs associated with alcohol-related intimate partner violence.
- Evaluate effective and cost–effective prevention strategies for reducing levels of alcohol-related intimate partner violence.
- Promote multi-agency partnerships to tackle intimate partner violence by raising awareness of the links between alcohol consumption and intimate partner violence.
- Advocate for policy and legal changes to protect victims of intimate partner violence, to reduce problematic drinking, and to exclude alcohol as a mitigating factor for violent acts.
- Ensure close links between intimate partner violence and alcohol support services, allowing those presenting at one to receive screening and referral to the other.
References
[i] Graham, K., Bernards, S., Wilsnack, S.C., and, Gmel, G. (2010). Alcohol May Not Cause Partner Violence But It Seems to Make It Worse: A Cross National Comparison of the Relationship Between Alcohol and Severity of Partner Violence. J Interpers Violence. 2010 Jun 3;26(8):1503–1523. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3142677/
[ii] World Health Organization. (2010). Preventing intimate partner and sexual violence against women: taking action and generating evidence. Geneva, World Health Organization. Available at: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/44350/9789241564007_eng.pdf;jsessionid=6A9D652DC80AD7BAD044554A7EF39830?sequence=1
[iii] Graham, K., Bernards, S., Wilsnack, S.C., and, Gmel, G. (2010). Alcohol May Not Cause Partner Violence But It Seems to Make It Worse: A Cross National Comparison of the Relationship Between Alcohol and Severity of Partner Violence. J Interpers Violence. 2010 Jun 3;26(8):1503–1523. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3142677/
[iv] Byrne, S. (2010) Costs to Society of Problem Alcohol Use in Ireland. Dublin: Health Service Executive. Available at: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/15781/1/HSE_Costs_to_Society_of_Problem_Alcohol_Use_in_Ireland.pdf
[v] Giorgi. C. (2024). Alcohol is a trigger for family violence. So why aren’t governments acting on it? Sydney: Women’s Agenda. Available at: https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/alcohol-is-a-trigger-for-family-violence-so-why-arent-governments-acting-on-it/
[vi] Campbell, E., Fernando, Dr. T, Gassner Dr. L., Hill, J., Seidler Dr. Z., and Summers Dr. A. (2024). Unlocking the Prevention Potential Accelerating action to end domestic, family and sexual violence. Canberra: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia). Available at: https://www.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/resource/download/unlocking-the-prevention-potential-4.pdf
[vii] The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE). (2024). FARE welcomes National Cabinet decision to act on alcohol to help prevent gendered violence. Canberra: FARE. https://fare.org.au/fare-welcomes-national-cabinet-decision-to-act-on-alcohol-to-help-prevent-gendered-violence/
[viii] The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE). (2024). Community and health leaders welcome draft alcohol laws in South Australia to prevent gendered violence. Canberra: FARE. Available at: https://fare.org.au/community-and-health-leaders-welcome-draft-alcohol-laws-in-south-australia-to-prevent-gendered-violence/
[ix] Prevention Collaborative. (2024). Addressing harmful alcohol use to reduce intimate partner violence and violence against children in the home. Available at: https://prevention-collaborative.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Alcohol-Review-FINAL.pdf
