Publication year
2004
Citation Title
Drinking and spouse abuse among U.S. Army soldiers
Journal Name
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
Journal Volume
28
Issue Number
12
Page Numbers
1890-1897
DOI
10.1097/01.alc.0000148102.89841.9b
Summary
Alcohol use likely plays a key role in domestic violence (DV), including among military families. The relationships between DV perpetration, alcohol use patterns, and demographic information were examined among married, male, Active Duty Army Service members who did or did not perpetrate spousal DV. In general, heavier drinking among Service members was associated with increased risk for DV perpetration.
Key Findings
Service members who reported the heaviest drinking patterns (i.e., 22 or more drinks per week) were 68% more likely to abuse their spouse than Service members who did not drink.
Perpetrators were more likely than victims to have been drinking during the DV (24% vs. 14%).
Both perpetrators and victims were more likely to have been drinking at the time of the DV event if the perpetrator had previously reported heavier drinking patterns.
Perpetrators were more likely to be younger, lower rank, minority race/ethnicity (i.e., Black or Latino), less educated, and parents of large families (i.e., four or more children); however, those with lower rank and minority race/ethnicity were less likely to be drinking during the DV.
Implications for Program Leaders
Educate Service members and their partners about the risks of heavy drinking, including DV
Provide resources and mental health referrals for Service members or their family concerned about alcohol use and DV
Offer separate support groups for perpetrators and victims of DV that provide social support, as well as education and skills to prevent future episodes of DV
Implications for Policy Makers
Promote programs that connect Service members reporting high levels of alcohol use on their screening with preventative services and resources for DV
Recommend education for professionals working with military families about the association between heavy alcohol use and DV
Encourage collaboration with community advocacy groups to plan an awareness campaign on military bases about the risks of alcohol abuse and DV for military families
Methods
Data for the study were collected from the Total Army Injury and Health Outcomes database.
Data regarding Army Service members’ perpetration of DV, health and risk behaviors, including alcohol use, and demographic information from 1991-1998 was used.
Relationships between Army Service members’ DV perpetration, alcohol use, and demographic characteristics were examined.
Participants
Data was included from 96,663 married, male, enlisted, Active Duty Soldiers from 1991-1998.
Soldiers were 32,221 first-time perpetrators of substantiated DV events against their spouse; controls were 64,442 married, male, non-offending Soldiers matched on rank.
The majority of Service members (56%) reported drinking alcohol at least weekly, and DV perpetrators averaged more drinks per week (M = 6.8) than non-offenders (M = 5.9).
No other demographic information was provided.
Limitations
Domestic violence is likely already under-reported, and this study only used substantiated cases of DV among spouses, so several cases of DV were probably not included in the data.
Drinking during the DV event and alcohol abuse were likely under-reported by Service members since they are socially undesirable behaviors and reports were not confidential.
Other factors (e.g., Service members’ deployment, mental health and well-being, history of abuse victimization) that were not considered in the analyses may have influenced results.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine how stressors, such as deployment or mental health difficulties, interact with alcohol use and DV perpetration among Service members
Explore whether reasons or risk factors for perpetrating DV among Service members are different for groups with varying demographic characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, age, rank)
Investigate whether programs that aim to reduce alcohol use among Service members can also decrease rates of DV among those individuals
Focus
Army
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between typical weekly drinking and perpetration of spouse abuse as well as the relationship between the perpetrator's typical weekly drinking and alcohol use during the abuse event among U.S. Army male soldiers. Methods: Cases include all active duty, male, enlisted Army spouse abusers identified in the Army's Central Registry who had also completed an Army Health Risk Appraisal Survey (HRA) between 1991 and 1998 (N = 9534). Cases were matched on sex, rank, and marital status with 21,786 control subjects who had also completed an HRA. Results: In multivariate logistic regression models, heavy drinkers (22 or more drinks per week) were 66% more likely to be spouse abusers than were abstainers (odds ratio 1.66; 95% confidence interval 1.40_1.96). In addition, self-reported moderate and heavy drinkers were three times as likely and light drinkers (1_7 drinks per week) were twice as likely as nondrinkers to be drinking during the time of the abuse event. Conclusion: Self-reported heavy drinking is an independent risk factor for perpetration of spouse abuse among male, enlisted Army soldiers. Even 5 years or more after ascertainment of typical drinking habits, there is a significant association between self-reported heavy drinking and alcohol involvement at the time of the spouse abuse event. Personnel who work with perpetrators and victims of spouse abuse should be trained carefully to query about current and typical drinking patterns.
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