This paper provides a framework in which theories/explanations of alcohol-related aggression are identified and operationalized in such a way that they can be applied systematically to naturally occurring aggressive behavior associated with alcohol use. Summaries of explanations are provided along with a brief discussion of how these explanations might be assessed using real-world data. Explanations are grouped by whether they are based on: (a) the effects of alcohol; (b) the drinking set or setting; or (c) expectations and other characteristics of individual drinkers. These explanations are then assessed in terms of relevance and applicability to two examples of naturally occurring incidents of aggression, one based on unobtrusive observation, the second elicited as part of a telephone interview study.
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