Proximal Effects of Alcohol on Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration: Recommendations for Investigating "The How Question"

Objective: In this Perspectives article, we outline a collaborative research program aimed at a more refined understanding of the proximal factors involved in alcohol-facilitated intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. Method: We provide a summary of our research experiences and offer recommendations regarding studies aiming to understand what we term "the how question," which focuses on applying research methods that allow for the investigation of the potential causal mechanisms that underlie the well-established link between heavy alcohol use and IPV perpetration. Results: We suggest several "gold standard" research methods that allow researchers to yield useful information about how alcohol may cause IPV perpetration but that are infrequently applied in this research area. Conclusions: We conclude by reviewing several factors limiting our understanding of the proximal determinants of alcohol-facilitated IPV, including issues relating to sampling, definition, inclusiveness, and the dyadic nature of IPV.