Alcohol and Violence
 

In light of the recent tragic demise of the young Thomas Kelly in Sydney’s now notorious Kings Cross district, there has been much talk about the role that alcohol played in the incident and in fact the role it plays in all violent incidents in the area. Is there really a correlation between alcohol over-indulgence and violence?
 

Politicians and police have been scrambling for ways to combat the violence in these entertainment areas, with such suggestions as lock-outs put forward as well as campaigns to educate the youth. But is the problem much deeper than that? What exactly is the connection between alcohol and violence?
 

Alcohol has been identified as the main contributor to the violence in the Kings Cross area and something needs to be done before the problem escalates into more deaths.
 

Late trading hours and lack of public transport are just a few of the issues that make the area so conducive to violence. Authorities have been urged to address these problems. There is no doubt that increased policing in the area needs to be implemented by authorities. But more importantly the problem of providing alcohol to these criminals in the first place needs to be addressed.
 

Drinking alcohol affects a person’s ability to make safe decisions and often makes a person lose their inhibitions, resulting in fighting and a lack of self-preservation instincts. Research shows that there are strong links between excessive alcohol consumption and being a victim or perpetrator  of violence.
 

While we are all aware of the physical effects of alcohol, alcohol consumption has been shown to directly affect cognitive functions as well. Meaning that it affects the way a person thinks, often hindering logical thinking. A person can lose self-control and indulge in activities that they wouldn’t ordinarily, such as unsafe sex and violence. Excessive drinking brings out the risk taker in people, especially teenagers who are not developed mentally or emotionally enough.
 

Alcohol abuse can increase emotions and often makes a person more impulsive, so violent confrontations seem like a good idea at the time. Built up frustration is let out, often without the fear of the consequences.
 

Reduced physical control and ability to recognise early warning signs can make some people, especially teenagers easy targets. Alcohol and violence is often a central part of youth gang culture and often times young people will indulge in excessive amounts of alcohol in anticipation of a violent confrontation.
 

So basically alcohol consumption increases a person’s aggression and often results in violence. People, particularly youth that are intoxicated will quickly become hostile and easily aggravated, which is why they resort to violence quickly. Alcohol does this by interrupting normal brain functioning.
 

Scientists have long stressed the ability of alcohol to affect the brain by inhibiting normal restraintive behaviour, causing over aggression.
 

 By impairing the processing of information, alcohol may lead a person to misjudge social cues that they would normally understand, by overreacting to a perceived threat. Also the person’s ability to pay attention is hampered which may lead them to irrationally react with violence.
 

Studies also show that people’s aggressive reactions proportionally correspond with the amount of alcohol they intake.
 

While science has proven a direct link between alcohol and violence, some scientist argue that alcohol merely brings to the surface aggression already within a person. Often people will only become aggressive if they perceive a threat. This theory would exonerate the pubs in the Kings Cross Area because the problem of violence is more rooted in a person’s social background, rather than being brought on by alcohol.
 

Such social problems as childhood abuse, bullying, victimisation etc. are more likely to cause a person to become violent than excessive alcohol intake. However Serotonin, the chemical messenger in the brain which acts as a behavioural inhibitor, is decreased during intoxication which may contribute to aggressive behaviour and violence.
 

While authorities attempt to tighten laws to reduce the violence and hold businesses responsible for the service of alcohol, perhaps an overhaul at grassroots level is needed. More education about the negative effects of alcohol among teens and at schools may also provide some assistance. Parents have an important role to play as well, because children often mimic their behaviour, including their alcohol consumption habits. So perhaps a more holistic approach to the problem is called for.
 

Posted by Peter Cutforth