title: Gender differences in the relationship of alcohol and drug use to criminal behavior in a sample of arrestees.
abstract: This paper examines differences between men and women in the relationship of alcohol and drug use to criminal offenses, including violent behavior. A probability sample of men (N = 959) and women (N = 188) arrestees were interviewed in a northern California county. No significant differences were found between men and women in patterns of drug use, but more men than women reported heavy drinking. A higher proportion of men than women reported violence in the events related to their arrest (p < or = .02). Logistic regression examined the relationship of heavy drinking and violent offenses, controlling for drug use and demographic variables. Frequent heavy drinking (OR = 1.47), white ethnicity (OR = .51), and being married (OR = 1.93) were significant; gender was not significant. The results have implications for future research on gender and violence.
authors.affiliation: Alcohol Research Group, Western Consortium for Public Health, Berkely, California, USA.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Nunes-Dinis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weisner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data