ABSTRACT
Itisgenerallyrecognizedthatthereisamarkedassociationbetweenalcohol consumptionandcrime.Probablymostofuswouldreadilyjumptotheconclusion thatalcoholabuseisadirectcauseofcriminalbehaviour:thatintoxicationand disinhibitioncausedbyalcoholleadpeopletocommitcrime.Obviousexamplesof this'directcause'modelarethechronicdrunkennessoffender,orthemanwho commitsadrunkenassaultinapublicbar.However,single-causeexplanations basedontheassumptionthatdrinkingleadstodisinhibitionandhencetoanti-social behaviourareinadequatebecauseevenheavyintoxicationdoesnotinevitablylead toaggression,andindividualandsocioculturalfactorshavetobetakenintoaccount.
