Elsevier

Addictive Behaviors

Volume 33, Issue 1, January 2008, Pages 201-205
Addictive Behaviors

Short communication
Predicting violence among cocaine, cannabis, and alcohol treatment clients

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2007.07.002Get rights and content

Abstract

In this study, the relationship between the use of various substances, selected psychosocial characteristics, and violence was examined. Groups of subjects in treatment for a primary problem with cocaine (n = 300), cannabis (n = 128), alcohol (n = 110), other drugs (33), tobacco (n = 249) or gambling (n = 199) completed a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions on various psychosocial scales (i.e., aggressive personality, chronic stress, sleep problems, impulsivity, disrespect for the law and social supports), frequency of drug and alcohol use, and violence in the past year.

For the univariate analyses, all of the drug and psychosocial variables were significantly related to violence. In the multivariate analyses, frequency of cocaine and alcohol use, disrespect for the law, aggressive personality, age and sex were significantly related to violence. The findings point to multi-causal explanations; however, both alcohol and cocaine use appear to play a significant role in explaining violence.

Introduction

Although studies have often noted statistical relationships between alcohol, cocaine and cannabis use with violence, debate continues regarding whether these relationships are causal or correlational. Aggressive personality or risk-taking propensity, often elevated among substance users, are characteristics that might better explain violence than drug use. This study examines the use of alcohol, cocaine and cannabis along with several covariates in relation to violence in the past year among clients in treatment.

Substance abuse treatment samples have been shown to be particularly violent (see Macdonald et al., 2003, O'Farrell et al., 2003). Numerous studies have found significant relationships between the acute effects of alcohol and cocaine, and the likelihood of violence (see Boles and Miotto, 2003, Chermack and Blow, 2002, Friedman, 1998, Macdonald et al., 2005). Although disagreement continues over the exact nature of these relationships (e.g., Lipsey, Wilson, Cohen, & Derzon, 1997), there is a growing consensus that acute alcohol and cocaine effects are at least partially causally related to violence (Macdonald et al., 2003, Macdonald et al., 2005). Studies of the relationship between violent injuries and cannabis have yielded mixed results (Macdonald et al., 2003).

This study aims to better understand the relative importance of alcohol, cocaine and cannabis use and other selected psychosocial characteristics in explaining violence.

What are the univariate relationships between frequency of alcohol, cocaine and cannabis use, other psychosocial characteristics, and violence?

What are the multivariate relationships between frequency of substance use, other psychosocial factors, and violence?

Section snippets

Research design

A cross-sectional study design was used. A self-administered questionnaire that included questions on violence and potential risk factors was administered to patients upon admission to various treatment programs.

The sample

Subjects for this study were 18 years and over and in treatment for various addictions, including a primary problem with cocaine (n = 300), cannabis (n = 126), alcohol (n = 110), other drugs (33), tobacco (249) or gambling (n = 196). The subjects for this study, obtained from various treatment

Results

About two thirds of the subjects in treatment for a primary problem with cocaine or cannabis had additional substance use problems. Less than 10% of subjects in the tobacco and gambling groups had a substance abuse problem of any kind. Clients in treatment for cocaine alone most often reported involvement in an incident of violence (56.8%) while the cannabis alone group had the least amount of violence (26.5%) among the substance use groups, which in turn was much higher than either the

Discussion

Overall, the results of this study support a connection between alcohol and cocaine use with violence; however, more research is needed to determine the nature of the relationship. Aggressive personality also accounted for the differential likelihood of violence between groups. Prior studies confirm that populations in treatment for substance abuse are significantly more likely to be aggressive and risk-takers than the general population (see Conway et al., 2002, Macdonald and Mann, 1996). Such

References (15)

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This paper received financial support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

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