The Role of Alcohol Consumption in Female Victimization: Findings from a French Representative Sample

Abstract

Alcohol is frequently related to interpersonal aggression, but information regarding the role of alcohol consumption by victims of severe aggression is however lacking. In order to better understand the dynamic of victimization, we investigated contextual, facilitator, and psychological impact variables related to victimization in a French sample composed of 1,033 females aged 18–74 years. The participants were recruited using quota sampling methodology, and responses were measured using Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewer. A logistic regression was conducted using a backward elimination procedure to identify the significant predictors of blows and wounds suffered in the past 24 months. The results indicated that victims, relative to nonvictims, did binge drink significantly more often, had a higher aggression trait, and had experienced more social hardships in the past. The study's limitations are noted.

RESUME

Le role de l'alcool dans les violences envers les femmes: Résultats d'une enquête française auprès d'un échantillon representative

L'alcool est fréquemment lié aux agressions entre les personnes, mais on manque d'informations concernant les victimes d'agression grave. Afin de mieux comprendre la dynamique de la victimation, nous avons analysé le lien entre des variables contextuelles, facilitatrices et psychologiques et la victimation dans un échantillon de 1,033 femmes françaises âgées de 18 à 74 ans. Les participantes ont été recrutées en employant la méthode des quotas, et les réponses ont été recueillies par auto-passation informatisée. Afin d'identifier les prédicteurs des coups et blessures subis durant les 24 mois passés, une régression logistique employant une procédure d’élimination descendante a été employée. Les résultats ont indiqué que les victimes avaient eu davantage d'expériences d'alcoolisations massives et concentrées (binge drinking), avaient un niveau d'agressivité-trait plus élevé et avaient vécu davantage de difficultés sociale dans le passé comparées aux non-victimes.

RESUMEN

El papel del consumo de alcohol en la victimización de la mujer: Los resultados de una muestra representativa francesa

El alcohol se relaciona a menudo con la agresión interpersonal. Sin embargo, la información con respecto al rol del consumo de alcohol de las víctimas de agresión severa carece. Paraentender mejor la dinámica de la victimación, investigamos las variables contextuales, facilitadoras y del impacto psicológico relacionadas con la persecución en una muestra francesa de 1,033 mujeres de 18–74 años. Los participantes fueron seleccionados por cuotas, y las respuestas fueron medidas usando el Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewer (CASI). Una regresión logística fue conducida para identificar las variables predictivas de golpes y heridas sufridos en los últimos 24 meses. Los resultados indicaron que las víctimas, comparadas con no-víctimas, fueron significativamente más frecuentemente emborrachadas, tenían un rasgo de agresión más marcado, y habían experimentado más dificultades sociales en el pasado.

• Keywords alcohol
• binge drinking
• aggression
• victimization
• assault
• aggression trait

THE AUTHORS

Laurent Bègue, Ph.D., is a professor (social psychology) in Pierre Mendès-France University (Grenoble 2), holds a degree in alcohol research, and he is the head of the Interuniversity Laboratory of Psychology (LIP), Grenoble. His main research interest is aggressive behavior. He is the author of two books (in French) and various articles including Bègue, L., Subra, B., Arvers, P., Muller, D., Bricout, V., & Zorman, M. (2009). Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45, 137–142; Bègue, L., Bushman, B., Giancola, P., Subra, B., & Rosset, E. (2010). Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36, 1301–1304; Bègue, L., & Subra, B. (2008). Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2, 511–538.

Claudine Pérez-Diaz, Ph.D., is a researcher in the Centre de Recherche Médecine, Sciences, Santé, Santé Mentale et Société (Research Centre of Medicine, Sciences, Health, Mental Health, and Health Policy). She specialized in the field of criminology (justice and risks: road safety, physical violence, and sexual violence). She published the following articles: Perez-Diaz, C., & Huré, M. S. (2011). Drug and Alcohol Review, 30, 490–495; Pérez-Diaz, C., & Huré, M. S. (2007). Alcoologie et Addictologie, 29, 13S–20S; Pérez-Diaz, C. (2004). Rev Epidemiol Santé Publique, 52, 368–375.

Baptiste Subra holds a Ph.D. in social psychology and is currently assistant professor in Paris Descartes University. His major field of research deals with aggressive behavior, and has recently published about the link between alcohol and aggression [Bègue, L., Subra, B., Arvers, P., Muller, D., Bricout, V., & Zorman, M. (2009). Journal of Experimental and Social Psychology, 45, 137–142; Subra, B., Muller, D., Bègue, L., Bushman, B. J., & Delmas, F. (2010). Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36, 1052–1057].

Emmanuelle Ceaux is a Ph.D. student at Grenoble 2 University, in the Interuniversity Laboratory of Psychology (LIP). She holds a Emmanuelle Ceaux, master's degree in experimental psychology. She is mainly interested in organizational behavior, especially in the impact of stress at work.

Philippe Arvers, epidemiologist (M.D., Ph.D.) and addictologist, has been working at the Army Biomedical Research Institute (Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées) for the past 22 years. He has been involved with the development and validation of screening tests in the field of drug misuse. His research is focused on prevention tools assessment among students, promotion of brief interviews, and early screening—brief intervention use in the field of alcohol misuse. Recent publications include Bègue, L., Subra, B., Arvers, P., Muller, D., Bricout, V., & Zorman, M. (2009). Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45(1), 137–142; Fauvelle, F., Dorandeu, F., Carpentier, P., Foquin, A., Rabeson, H., Graveron-Demilly, D., Arvers, P., Testylier, G. (2009). Toxicology, 267(1–3), 99–111.

Véronique Aurélie Bricout, Ph.D., is a researcher in a clinical research service specialized in sports medicine. Work focuses on muscular fatigue and hormonal, metabolic, and cardiac factors, with various patients. Selected publications are Bricout, V.-A., et al. (2010). Autonomic Neurosciences, 154, 112–116; Begue, L., Subra, B., Arvers, P., Müller, D., Bricout, V.-A., et al. (2009). Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45, 137–142; Bricout, V.-A., et al. (2008). Annales de Réadaptation et de Médecine Physique, 51, 683–691; Bricout, V.-A., et al. (2008). Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 20, 558–565; Flore, P., Bricout, V.-A., et al. (2008). European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, 15(1), 35–42.

Sebastian Roché is senior research fellow at the CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research), Institute of Political Science, University of Grenoble, France. He holds a Ph.D. in political science at the Institute of Political Science, University of Grenoble, France, where he heads the “Safety and Cohesion” department. He is specialized in the field of criminology (juvenile crime and juvenile justice, collective forms of violence, rioting, policing, and order maintenance) and has recently published in Transnational Criminology Manual, and with Jacques De Maillard in Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 3(1), 34–40.

Joel Swendsen is director of research at the CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research), Bordeaux, France. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from UCLA and his research interests include the comorbidity of substance use disorders with other psychiatric conditions. The majority of his recent work has focused on ambulatory monitoring techniques such as the experience sampling method and ecological momentary assessment in the study of daily life mechanisms underlying comorbidity. Recent publications are the following: Swanson, S. A., Crow, S. J., Le Grange, D., Swendsen, J., & Merikangas, K. R. (2011). Archives of General Psychiatry; Ben-Zeev, D., Morris, S., Swendsen, J., & Granholm, E. (2011). Schizophrenia Bulletin.

Michel Zorman is a physician specialized in public health and medical director of the Center for Health of Grenoble 2 University. His clinical interests are learning disabilities, reading, reading difficulties, dyslexia, oral language development, and specific language impairment. His research interests are epidemiology and neurobiology of learning disabilities, reading difficulties and oral language development, prevention of reading disabilities, assessment practices with children, alcohol, drugs consumption, and their consequences. Recent publications are the following: Fayol, M., Zorman, M., & Lété, B. (2009). British Journal of Educational Psychology, 1–14; Bianco, M., Bressoux, P., Doyen, A. L., Lambert, E., Lima, L., Pellenq, C., & Zorman, M. (in press). Scientific Studies of Reading.

Notes

1 Baccalaureate is a school-leaving examination leading to university entrance qualification in the French school system.