Where, with whom, and how much alcohol is consumed on drinking events involving aggression? Event-level associations in a Canadian national survey of university students.

BACKGROUND Epidemiological research using event-level data can provide a better understanding of the association between alcohol consumption, characteristics of drinking contexts, and the likelihood of aggressive behavior. The present research assessed whether alcohol intake and characteristics of the drinking context were associated with the likelihood of aggression within individuals across 3 drinking events based on a national sample of university students, taking into account individual characteristics and university level variables. Additionally, we determined whether individual characteristics, particularly drinking pattern, were associated with alcohol-related aggression controlling for drinking event characteristics, and whether relations of aggression to alcohol and drinking contexts differed by gender. METHODS Secondary analyses of the 2004 Canadian Campus Survey (CCS), a national survey of 6,282 university students (41% response rate) at 40 Canadian universities, were conducted. Respondents were asked about their three most recent drinking events, including whether they were in an argument or fight with someone, number of drinks consumed, and characteristics of the drinking context as well as their usual drinking frequency and heavy episodic drinking. We used multi-level analyses to account for the nested structure of the data (i.e., drinking events nested within individuals who were nested within universities). RESULTS The number of drinks consumed was positively associated with aggression. Drinking contexts found to be positively associated with aggression included being at a party, at a fraternity/sorority and/or residence, at three or more drinking places (versus 1 or 2), and having a partner present whereas having a meal reduced the likelihood of aggression. A significant interaction was found between gender and being at a party, with a significant effect found for women but not for men. CONCLUSIONS These results support experimental evidence indicating a direct role of alcohol in aggression and point to characteristics of the drinking context that might be targeted in future prevention initiatives.

[1]  W. Corbin,et al.  Capturing the moment: innovative approaches to daily alcohol assessment. , 2006, Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research.

[2]  P. Giancola Alcohol-related aggression during the college years: theories, risk factors and policy implications. , 2002, Journal of studies on alcohol. Supplement.

[3]  S. Hansell,et al.  Alcohol Use and Aggression Among Youth , 1993 .

[4]  William J. Browne,et al.  Bayesian and likelihood-based methods in multilevel modeling 1 A comparison of Bayesian and likelihood-based methods for fitting multilevel models , 2006 .

[5]  D. Thombs,et al.  The social context of four adolescent drinking patterns , 1994 .

[6]  Henry Wechsler,et al.  Attendance and alcohol use at parties and bars in college: a national survey of current drinkers. , 2002, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[7]  B. Mahoney,et al.  Trends in Alcohol-Related Campus Violence: Implications for Prevention. , 1998 .

[8]  K. Carey,et al.  Understanding fraternity drinking: five recurring themes in the literature, 1980-1998. , 1999, Journal of American college health : J of ACH.

[9]  M. Straus Prevalence of Violence Against Dating Partners by Male and Female University Students Worldwide , 2004 .

[10]  J. Nelder,et al.  Hierarchical generalised linear models: A synthesis of generalised linear models, random-effect models and structured dispersions , 2001 .

[11]  L. West Negotiating Masculinities in American Drinking Subcultures , 2001 .

[12]  R. Parker,et al.  Alcohol, Drugs, and Violence , 1998 .

[13]  R. Pihl,et al.  Current directions in research on understanding and preventing intoxicated aggression. , 1998, Addiction.

[14]  D. Osgood,et al.  To what extent is intoxication associated with aggression in bars? A multilevel analysis. , 2006, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[15]  S. Wells,et al.  Alcohol-related aggression in the general population. , 2000, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[16]  R. Pihl,et al.  Alcohol and crimes of violence: present issues. , 1990, The International journal of the addictions.

[17]  Kathryn Graham,et al.  Aggression Among Young Adults in the Social Context of the Bar , 2001 .

[18]  John D. Clapp,et al.  ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTORS OF HEAVY EPISODIC DRINKING , 2001, The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse.

[19]  Paul D. Umbach,et al.  Student Survey Response Rates across Institutions: Why Do they Vary? , 2006 .

[20]  J. Archer,et al.  Self‐reported physical aggression among young men , 1995 .

[21]  J. Clapp,et al.  Deconstructing Contexts of Binge Drinking Among College Students , 2000, The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse.

[22]  B. Quigley,et al.  Physical Aggression in the Lives of Young Adults , 2002 .

[23]  Julie A. Schumacher,et al.  Intimate partner violence and substance use: a longitudinal day-to-day examination. , 2003, Addictive behaviors.

[24]  J. Bjork,et al.  The effects of a cumulative alcohol dosing procedure on laboratory aggression in women and men. , 1999, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[25]  S. Raudenbush,et al.  Maximum Likelihood for Generalized Linear Models with Nested Random Effects via High-Order, Multivariate Laplace Approximation , 2000 .

[26]  Louis Gliksman,et al.  Multilevel analysis of situational drinking among Canadian undergraduates. , 2002, Social science & medicine.

[27]  J. Simpura Alcohol and European transformation. , 1997, Addiction.

[28]  H. Wechsler,et al.  Trends in College Binge Drinking During a Period of Increased Prevention Efforts: Findings from 4 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study Surveys: 1993–2001 , 2002, Journal of American college health : J of ACH.

[29]  M. Testa The impact of men's alcohol consumption on perpetration of sexual aggression. , 2002, Clinical psychology review.

[30]  H. Wechsler,et al.  Changes in binge drinking and related problems among American college students between 1993 and 1997. Results of the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study. , 1998, Journal of American college health : J of ACH.

[31]  R. Knibbe,et al.  Contextual Influences on Young People's Drinking Rates in Public Drinking Places: An Observational Study , 1993 .

[32]  S. Wells,et al.  The Two Worlds of Aggression for Men and Women , 2001 .

[33]  D. M. Lawson,et al.  Environmental influences on drinking by college students in a college pub: behavioral observation in the natural environment. , 1978, Addictive behaviors.

[34]  D. J. Hanson,et al.  Boozing and brawling on campus: A national study of violent problems associated with drinking over the past decade , 1994 .

[35]  Bonnie S. Fisher,et al.  A Tale of Two Ivory Towers. A Comparative Analysis of Victimization Rates and Risks between University Students in the United States and England , 2003 .

[36]  Kypros Kypri,et al.  Episode-centred analysis of drinking to intoxication in university students. , 2005, Alcohol and alcoholism.

[37]  Kathryn Graham,et al.  Bad nights or bad bars? Multi-level analysis of environmental predictors of aggression in late-night large-capacity bars and clubs. , 2006, Addiction.

[38]  D. J. Hanson,et al.  Surveying the damage: a review of research on consequences of alcohol misuse in college populations. , 2002, Journal of studies on alcohol. Supplement.

[39]  D. Dawson,et al.  Should alcohol consumption measures be adjusted for gender differences? , 1998, Addiction.

[40]  J. Koval,et al.  Drinking patterns, drinking contexts and alcohol-related aggression among late adolescent and young adult drinkers. , 2005, Addiction.

[41]  R. Pihl,et al.  The effects of alcohol intoxication on aggressive responses in men and women. , 2000, Alcohol and alcoholism.

[42]  R. Hammersley,et al.  Effects of Meal Composition on Blood Alcohol Level, Psychomotor Performance and Subjective State after Ingestion of Alcohol , 1998, Appetite.

[43]  J. Cashin,et al.  Alcohol use in the Greek system: follow the leader? , 1998, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[44]  H. Wechsler,et al.  Health and behavioral consequences of binge drinking in college. A national survey of students at 140 campuses. , 1994, JAMA.

[45]  S. E. Martin The epidemiology of alcohol-related interpersonal violence. , 1992 .

[46]  J. J. Collins,et al.  Epidemiology of alcohol-related violence. , 1993 .

[47]  T. Stockwell,et al.  High risk drinking settings: the association of serving and promotional practices with harmful drinking. , 1993, Addiction.

[48]  S. Wells,et al.  The Frequency of Third-Party Involvement in Incidents of Barroom Aggression , 1999 .

[49]  A. Zeichner,et al.  An investigation of gender differences in alcohol-related aggression. , 1995, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[50]  R. Page,et al.  Type of Student Residence as a Factor in College Students' Alcohol Consumption and Social Normative Perceptions Regarding Alcohol Use , 2006 .

[51]  S. Wortley,et al.  Drinking in various settings as it relates to demographic variables and level of consumption: findings from a national survey in Canada. , 1993, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[52]  K. Fromme,et al.  Event-level covariation of alcohol intoxication and behavioral risks during the first year of college. , 2007, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[53]  D. Murray,et al.  Social settings and situations of underage drinking. , 1998, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[54]  B. Muthén,et al.  Alcohol-related aggression and drinking at off-campus parties and bars: a national study of current drinkers in college. , 2003, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[55]  K. Björkqvist,et al.  Sex differences in physical, verbal, and indirect aggression: A review of recent research , 1994 .

[56]  D. Osgood,et al.  Guardians and handlers: the role of bar staff in preventing and managing aggression. , 2005, Addiction.

[57]  E. Adlaf,et al.  Heavy drinking on Canadian campuses. , 2003, Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique.

[58]  Terry E. Duncan,et al.  Adolescent alcohol use development and young adult outcomes. , 1997, Drug and alcohol dependence.

[59]  R. Room,et al.  Situational norms for drinking and drunkenness: trends in the US adult population, 1979-1990. , 1997, Addiction.

[60]  Lindsay S. Ham,et al.  College students and problematic drinking: a review of the literature. , 2003, Clinical psychology review.

[61]  W. Schlenger,et al.  Acute and chronic effects of alcohol use on violence. , 1988, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[62]  J. Wiley,et al.  Drinking in violent and nonviolent events leading to arrest: Evidence from a survey of arrestees , 1995 .

[63]  E Lang,et al.  The relationship between license type and alcohol-related problems attributed to licensed premises in Perth, Western Australia. , 1992, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[64]  A P Turner,et al.  Evaluating a brief alcohol intervention with fraternities. , 2001, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[65]  S. Wells,et al.  Aggression involving alcohol: relationship to drinking patterns and social context. , 2003, Addiction.

[66]  I. Rossow,et al.  Alcohol-related violence: the impact of drinking pattern and drinking context. , 1996, Addiction.

[67]  W. Fals-Stewart The occurrence of partner physical aggression on days of alcohol consumption: a longitudinal diary study. , 2003, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[68]  John B. Nezlek,et al.  Multilevel Random Coefficient Analyses of Event- and Interval-Contingent Data in Social and Personality Psychology Research , 2001 .