INTRODUCTION AND AIMS:
In
'binge drinking' cultures, there is a strong association between alcohol
consumption and violence. At the same time, several studies suggest that this
link is cultural and contextual. We explore the role of alcohol in incidents of
violence in nightlife settings.
DESIGN AND METHODS:
We
used qualitative interviews with 104 Norwegians (52 men and 52 women, mean age
25 years) who binge drink and party in nightlife settings.
RESULTS:
Alcohol
both sparks and constrains violence in these contexts. When participants use
alcohol, they expect conflicts to occur and blame alcohol intoxication for such
behaviour. The packed settings of nightlife and parties combined with the
effects of alcohol can induce violence through personal affronts, heightened
emotions and jealousy. At the same time, nightlife settings constrain violence.
That is, binge drinkers excuse misbehaviour when it is attributed to alcohol.
In addition, audiences in these setting often go to great lengths to stop
fights. Combined, these factors help explain why violence occurs and why it
usually does not escalate.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:
The
association between alcohol and violence can be understood by more closely
examining the cultural and situational context where the events occur. This
link is not primarily related to the psychopharmacological properties of
alcohol, but rather it is associated with situational factors and cultural
norms regarding how to behave while intoxicated. Strategies aiming at reducing
violence in nightlife should take such factors into consideration.
- 1Department of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
- 2Department of Justice Sciences, University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA.
- 3Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
- Drug Alcohol Rev. 2016 Apr 7. doi: 10.1111/dar.12395.
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