Data from a longitudinal study of males and females from adolescence into young adulthood are used to study the relationship between alcohol use and aggression. A series of nested structural equation models examine the interrelationships between alcohol use, aggressive behavior, and episodes of acute alcohol-related aggression over time. Both prior aggressive behavior and prior alcohol use predict later episodes of acute alcohol-related aggression for the entire sample. In addition, early aggressive behavior predicts later alcohol use, but alcohol use is not related to subsequent increases in aggressive behavior. Gender interaction effects are significant. Prior alcohol use is a better predictor of alcohol-related aggression for females, whereas prior aggression is a better predictor for males. However, the relationships between alcohol use and aggression do not vary by hostility level. In sum, these data suggest that the nature and direction of the relationship between alcohol use, aggression, and alcohol-related aggression over time are conditioned by gender.
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