Alcohol and Domestic Abuse

Alcohol does not cause violence and abuse, however it can impact the ways in which it is experienced. To be clear, many people who use violence and abuse also do so when they have not had a drink, and many people who do drink, including to harmful levels, are never violent or abusive. The Centre for Safer Society have been working to understand the links between domestic abuse and alcohol use through dedicated research.

Publications

Need support with a review where alcohol features?

Whether you would like us to Chair and Author your review, or you are a Chair looking for an expert panel member, we can help.

Summary:

Our new research launched in September 2026 explores how alcohol features in domestic abuse related death reviews. Analysing reviews published on the Home Office repository between 2020 to 2025, we considered key learning in terms of:

1. How the review process itself explores the role of alcohol in relation to domestic abuse to consider how these reviews can be strengthened. And;

2. What we can learn from reviews about how alcohol features in experiences of domestic abuse.

Read the full report here. Or the executive summary here.