Alcohol & disorder in the Australian community: part II - perpetrators

Abstract

Trends and Issues number 76 showed that it was common for people to report that they were victims of alcohol-related disorder. In this second part we see that around 17 per cent of a national sample report that they have committed some form of alcohol-related disorder or crime in the past 12 months.

These people tend to be young and male, and report either consuming alcohol at harmful levels or being binge drinkers. The data show a strong overlap between being a victim and a perpetrator, suggesting that prevention strategies need to recognise similarities and relationship between victims and perpetrators.

Within this strategy an important component will be the promotion of responsible drinking styles. However, more accurate and detailed data collections are required to better inform public policies.