Relations between alcohol, violence and victimization in adolescence

Background Compared to links between alcohol and aggression, links between alcohol and vulnerability are poorly understood. Objectives To determine whether there is a significant relationship between vulnerability to physical violence and alcohol consumption in adolescence independent of a relationship between alcohol consumption and violent behaviour. Design, setting, participants Cross-sectional study of 4187 adolescents aged 11–16 in a stratified sample of 13 English schools. Results Fighting decreased with age whereas hitting others and being hit increased. Relationships between fighting, hitting others and vulnerability to being hit and frequency of drinking and drunkenness were all highly significant (p