Drug use and aggression: The effect of rumination and other person-related variables

Drug use is often considered to be one of the main contributing factors to crime and violence. The goal of this research was an attempt at resolving a somewhat inconclusive body of evidence regarding the nature of the relationship between drug use and abuse and aggressive, violent behavior. Current, as well as former, drug users were assessed on a number of personality variables that have been shown to be related to aggression either directly or circuitously. Furthermore, data regarding their recent drug use, as well as the occurrence of violence in their close relationships were gathered. Sample rates of past year violence varied greatly by racial/ethnic group. No group differences were found between users and non users of alcohol, crack, cocaine, and amphetamines on any of the personality measures used or on violence scores. Higher trait aggression was found to be the only predictor of past year violence perpetrated by the participant in a structural equation model. However, for past year violence committed against the participant, recent use of amphetamine and crack, in addition to higher trait aggression, were found to be significant predictors. Unique models were developed for acts of psychological aggression, both by and against the participant, as well as injury inflicted to, and by, the participant. These were found to differentially include trait aggression as well as other variables related to substance use (i.e., age of first use of alcohol, and crack), though none included recent use of any of the four substances of interest. The widely accepted notion that substance use directly affects violent behavior was only tenuously supported. The use of trait aggression measures in drug treatment, as well as correctional institutions is recommended, as well as the further exploration of the variability in violence by race/ethnicity, and its possible relationship to substance use.