The nexus between substance abuse and intimate partner violence has been studied in depth. The interrelationship between drinking, intimate partner violence, and an officer’s decision to make an arrest has not received as much attention. The issue is complicated by the fact that either or both of the involved parties may have been drinking and the effects may vary depending on who has been drinking. In this article, the authors examine the relative contributions of his, her, and their drinking to the likelihood of arrest.
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