Alcohol Abuse, Wife Assault, and Power Needs

The high association between alcohol and violence suggests that alcohol instigates violence. The relationship, however, is complex, with disinhibition, disavowal, or interaction interpretations of the alcohol-violence association. Evidence from both the alcohol abuse and the wife assault fields suggests that "power theory" offers a viable alternative interpretation. Power theory suggests that alcohol abuse and wife assault are manifestations of an underlying need for power and control related to gender-based distortions and insecurities. Alcohol treatment and wife assault programs often conflict in terms of assumptions and approaches. Power theory implies that alcohol abuse and wife assault be treated conjointly as weapons of power assertion and control, and, in the process, treatment effectiveness will be enhanced.