Triggers for alcohol‐related violence in young male offenders

Abstract

Purpose. Improving the effectiveness of offender treatment programmes is important and one approach is to attend to their content. The aim here was to identify triggers to alcohol-related violence to inform the development of programmes to treat this problem. Method.Information from 149 young male offenders' accounts of incidents of alcohol-related violence was studied using thematic analysis.Results. Sixteen triggers for violence were identified and these were organized into six themes: (1) being offended by someone, (2) seeing an opportunity for material gain, (3) seeing others in need of help, (4) perception of threat, (5) distress, and (6) wanting a fight.Discussion. The implications of the results for developing treatments for alcoholrelated violence are presented. First, identifying triggers should be part of the treatment programme and ways of avoiding triggers should be addressed. Second, changing values, specifically hypermasculine and antisocial values, could attenuate the rewards signalled by the triggers. Third, methods of reducing the potency of triggers would be of value and would include addressing issues of need for respect and responses to perceived disrespect. Fourth, non-violent ways of helping people who are in trouble need to be introduced. Fifth, coping with threat cues through distraction and increasing self-awareness would reduce the effects of 'alcohol myopia'. Sixth, seeking fights for excitement could be reduced by examining the costs through motivational procedures. Finally, and self-evidently, a primary target of treatment programmes to reduce alcoholrelated violence should be to reduce the level and frequency of alcohol intoxication.

Apparent motives for aggression in the social context of the bar.

“…This finding further reinforces previous research suggesting the crucial role of identity concerns in the escalation of male-to-male aggression in bars (Benson & Archer, 2002; Dyck, 1980; Graham & Homel, 2008; Graham & Wells, 2003) and other social contexts (Cohen, et al, 1996; McMurran, et al, 2011; Polk, 1999; Shackelford, Goetz, Buss, Euler, & Hoier, 2005), as well as among women in bars (Spence et al, 2009). …”

External Trigger Factors for Violent Offending: Findings From the U.K. Prisoner Cohort Study

“…The triggers identified in this study showed considerable overlap with those identified in the existing literature, in particular with those found in a qualitative study of young male offenders by McMurran et al (2012). Although their sample was all male, younger, and had committed exclusively alcohol-related violence, they reported six themes: taking offense, seizing an opportunity for material gain, helping others, perception of threat, distress, and seeking a fight.…”

“…Because triggers are themselves, or are contingent upon, environmental and social factors, which may or may not be present and can change, the model indicates they are the most difficult factors to predict accurately. Most importantly, triggers represent events which directly precipitate an offense: personal or environmental stimuli experienced by the offender that "invoke both an acute cognitive and emotional appraisal of the situation" (S. L. Brown et al, 2009, p. 27) or an "initial external or internal event that stimulates a person to respond aggressively" (McMurran, Hoyte, & Jinks, 2012). By implication, the violence would not have occurred without the triggering event (unless the violence had been planned in advance) and would therefore constitute a necessary component event in the pathway.…”

Individual-level interventions for alcohol-related violence: Expanding targets for inclusion in treatment programs

“…Specific components of alcohol-related violence interventions might look to research on motivations for drinking in violent offenders (McMurran, 2007), provocations to violence (McMurran, Hoyte & Jinks, 2011) and the processes by which alcohol intoxication increases threat perception (Giancola et al, 2010;McMurran, 2011). Teaching offenders skills for coping with perceived provocation is important so that nonviolent options are available and so that they become more accessible when people are under the influence of alcohol.…”

“…These are generally young men (Richardson & Budd, 2003), who are of an aggressive disposition (Giancola, 2006;, who typically drink in social situations (Lang et al, 1995) and use alcohol to increase their confidence (McMurran, 2007). When intoxicated, these young men readily respond with violence to a range of perceived provocations (McMurran, Hoyte & Jinks et al, 2011). Although such young men may regret the personal consequences of violence, they may also see violence as a positive outcome of drinking (McMurran, 2007).…”