The Roles of Victim and Perpetrator Alcohol Use in Intimate Partner Violence Outcomes

Abstract

Alcohol use increases the risk of intimate partner violence (IPV), yet little research has examined its role in victimization outcomes (e.g., physical injury, police reporting). This study examined the roles of perpetrator and victim incident-specific alcohol use in IPV outcomes. The sample included 501 men and 1,756 women who had experienced an IPV physical assault. Logistic regression analyses showed that after controlling for relevant covariates, women whose partners had been drinking were significantly more likely to be injured than were women whose partners had not been drinking. A woman’s own alcohol use was unrelated to victimization outcomes. Men were significantly more likely to report the incident if their partners had been drinking but were marginally less likely to report if they had been drinking. Findings suggest that perpetrators’ incident-specific alcohol use is important in understanding which victims are most likely to be injured and report the incident to the police.