Explain how alcohol is related to crime in Scotland

Alcohol is one of the main causes of violent crime in Scotland. Nearly 1 in 4 men (23%) and around 1 in 6 (17%) women drink at harmful or hazardous levels each week in Scotland. Alcohol can affect people by making them more prone to react emotionally, and less able to control their anger.

Scottish Criminal Justice Survey 2012/13 In 6 out of 10 cases (59%) of violent crime, the victim said the offender was under the influence of alcohol. In 68% of cases of domestic abuse alcohol is present, and almost half of people who are convicted of domestic abuse are alcohol dependent. This shows that alcohol plays a massive role in violent offences in Scotland, which have a huge cost to society.

In the past 10 years, half of those accused of murder were under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs at the time of the murder. Two thirds of young offenders were drunk at the time of their offence. (from Scottish Prisoner Survey 2013)

Anti-social Behaviour Such as drunk and disorderly behaviour in public is a common crime amongst young people. Young people have a tendency to binge drink dangerously, as alcohol is not sold in pubs and off licences to young people, their drinking has to be relatively secretive, and this can make it all the more dangerous and likely to result in anti-social behaviour such as fighting.

In a Scottish government survey it was found that 19% of young people who had been drinking alcohol underage had had a fight as a result, and 23% had been in trouble with the police.

But children aren’t just affected by their own drinking – they are also affected by the adults in their lives who drink too much. 23% of children who are on “at-risk” registers (children who are to be monitored by social services as they are most at rick of suffering abuse that the hands of their parents) have parents who are drink or drug dependent. 40% of children who phone Childline are doing so because of physical abuse at the hands of a drunk parent. This can have a significant effect on the child growing up, and their ability to engage with education, and achieve their potential in later life.

Conclusion So alcohol is clearly related to violent offences, domestic abuse and youth crime in Scotland, these are all serious crimes which have a high long term cost for Scottish communities.