The Association Between an Abusive Father-Son Relationship, Quantity of Alcohol Consumption, and Male-to-Male Alcohol-Related Aggression

Background While alcohol consumption and heavy episodic (binge) drinking are well-established predictors of male-to-male alcohol-related aggression (MMARA), the role of the father-son relationship in MMARA has yet to be explored. Methods This study therefore examined whether fathering by the biological father rather than another father figure, negative fathering, and gender role modeled by the father figure were significant predictors of involvement in MMARA, once drinking frequency and quantity and heavy episodic drinking were controlled for. A total of 121 university students aged 18 to 25years (M=20.63, SD=1.77years) voluntarily completed the online questionnaire. Results The only significant predictors of perpetration of MMARA were a more abusive paternal relationship and drinking quantity (number of standard drinks usually consumed when drinking). Conclusions Negative father-son relationships may play a role in fostering young men's perpetration of MMARA in the barroom context.