Violence Prevention

Violence and substance abuse are serious public health concerns. Violence refers to high levels of aggression, that is, behavior intended to harm another person. Violence is a pervasive and universal social phenomenon that elicits substantial societal, economic, and health costs. The relationship between substance use and violence is exceedingly complex. Indeed, most alcohol and drug use does not result in violent behavior, and some psychoactive substances have no link to violence at all. However, evidence of alcohol and drug use is often found in both perpetrators and victims of violence. Violence and substance use are multiply determined by a variety of factors including social, economic, and cultural forces. Substance use interacts with personality and situational variables in determining whether violence will occur in a particular ...