The Relationship Between Relapse to Alcohol and Relapse to Violence

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to examine levels of intimate partner violence (IPV) in partner-violent men after leaving alcohol treatment and the interrelationship between relapse to alcohol and re-occurrence of IPV. The primary research question under investigation was whether the time to relapse to violence was related to the male partner’s relapse to drinking after outpatient alcoholism treatment. This investigation also considered the potential moderating effects of female partner drinking and anti-social personality disorder (ASPD) and whether relapse to alcohol is associated with different levels of IPV severity. A survival analysis was conducted to assess the time to relapse to violence after treatment. Findings revealed significant differences indicating those subjects that relapsed to alcohol were much more likely to relapse to physical aggression. For males diagnosed with ASPD, the effect of relapse to drinking was more prominent for nonsevere intimate partner violence. Finally, findings revealed that female alcohol consumption increased the likelihood of victimization by various degrees depending upon her severity of alcohol consumption. Results of this study suggest that when partner-violent men who complete alcoholism treatment relapse to alcohol, they are also likely to relapse to violence.