How Bad Is Alcohol’s Role in Violence? Really Bad.

These numbers highlight how alcohol plays a significant role in violence and self-harm incidents in the U.S.

Homicides:

• Around 4 in 10 homicide victims had consumed alcohol before their death.

• With approximately 20,000 homicides per year, about 8,000 involve alcohol.

Suicides:

• About 2 in 10 suicide victims had high blood alcohol levels.

• With roughly 50,000 suicides per year, about 10,000 involve alcohol.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV):

• Alcohol is a factor in around 4 in 10 reported domestic violence cases.

• With an estimated 10 million IPV cases annually, about 4 million involve alcohol.

Alcohol involvement in sexual assaults:

• Around 1 in 2 sexual assaults involve alcohol consumption by the perpetrator, the victim, or both.

• In college settings, alcohol is involved in about half of reported sexual assaults.

• Victim alcohol consumption:

• Studies suggest that approximately 1 in 3 victims had consumed alcohol before the assault.

• Perpetrator alcohol consumption:

• About half of perpetrators were under the influence of alcohol during the assault.