Does alcohol use predict violent behaviors? The relationship between alcohol use and violence in a nationally representative longitudinal sample. Youth Violence and Juvenile

The current study examined the relationship between alcohol and violence using a longitudinal survey of adolescents ages 11–26. Data were derived from 10,828 adolescents in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) Waves I-III. Survey logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between alcohol use and violence. Even after adjustment for base-line, consistent alcohol use predicted violence in young adulthood (OR 1.41; 95 % CI [1.03, 1.91]); however, violence was not predictive of problematic alcohol use. Overall, consistent alcohol use appears to be a predictor of serious physical violence, whereas physical violence does not predict problematic alcohol use