Drinking and Violence.

[Bewlay Bros]

Just seen on the news about more oiks kicking a mans head in whilst drunk.

My argument is that these people are violent anyway, and if confronted with a situation which unbalances there staus quo they would still beat some poor soul up.

The "you looking at my bird" or "don't tell me bot to p!ss in your garden" or "you're in my manor now" mentality would surely start a fight whether drunk or not.

It appears to me that there are just as many drunken fights than non-drunk ones. For example, these "happy slappings" seem to be carried out by your more sober peasant.

I drink quite a lot, but am rarely drunk. On the occassions when I am p!ssed I am never violent because, I believe, I am not a violent man sober.

So does booze make you more violent. Yes I accept it gives you confidence, bravado, maybe aggressive amorous advances, but violent????

I don't think so.

Any ideas on the subject matter?

[maximo]

I think you are right, someone who is capable to do such a thing whilst drunk, wouldn't flinch too much at doing it whilst sober. I agree that drink frees you of inhibitions and makes you more "daring", but you'd have to 1/ be used to violence in your everyday life, so that you wouldn't be shocked by it and 2/be encouraged through peer pressure. A lone drunk guy would never atempt such a thing, I believe, unless he was a complete nutter. These thugs take comfort in the "group" feeling, being urged on and wanting to prove their "worth" by being even more "daring" than their mates. The law should concentrate on severely punishing alcohol sale to minors / adults who look like they've already had a few...and trying to get groups of teenagers off the street after dark, which of course is easier said than done.

[mccfluff]

working in a pub, i would say the frame of mind the person is in when they start drinking has a lot to do with it. but on the other hand one young lad (who is now banned) seems to get into a fight every time he goes out, but when you see him sober he's always pleasant and polite and usually ashamed of his behaviour., he says he doesn't go out looking for trouble but it seems to find him!

[Ethel]

There are many wives routinely beaten when their husband is drunk.

The husband wouldn't say boo to a goose when sober.

[Octavius]

I think it has a lot to do with feelings of inferiority, stupid bravado (power over another) and the childish need to �prove� oneself in front of their peers. In fact it really is quite cowardly as they would never act alone.

Most of what you say can be related to the group mentality/safety in numbers aspect. Of course there are those that have a drink and become aggressive. Most of us grow up and leave those people behind since they take away the social enjoyment of it, but turn it into a one-man campaign against anyone that looks at them in a �funny� way etc. Maybe they are a bit violent deep down anyway and the drink triggers some personal insecurity that they need to show they are brave. But I doubt they do it so much if they went for a drink on their own. So it would seem, they need to prove or make a show to the people that surround them and know them. How many happy slappers, joyriders or violent binge drinkers would go round doing these things if they were a gang of one? Whether they were drunk or sober wouldn�t really matter, providing there were people to witness it and egg them on.

[theonlyone]

It's gang culture , if it was a lad on his own and drunk he would go home ..it happened where I live a bloke did nothing and was beaten to death ..12 years for taking a life ....the convict will be out ...the victim will not see his children grow up .......

[Ice.Maiden]

Alcohol fuels aggression in some people.

[eyeshade]

theonlyone is right, if they are in a gang, it is much more fun to kick someone's head in. If they were on their own, it wouldn't happen so much. Turn the water cannons on em that's what I say. Get the fire service to crawl round street corners and outside late night stores and rinse them down the drain.

[sandyg2244]

In some areas of America, if someone trespasses in your garden, you're within your rights to shoot them.While the issue of owning guns is a minefield, how many people didn't think Tony Martin had the right idea , albeit he served a prison sentence.I hope some of these thugs get real rough justice one of these days when they are least expecting it.

[pine martin]

i think drink makes you more emotional and sometimes brings out emotions that are hidden to the drinker but more often violent man will become more violent and a person who is not generally remains the same or becomes more outgoing and chatty

[mattie]

I agree, some people are just violent, drunk or sober.

Also, as I have said on here before, using the unfortunate plumber who remonstrated with a two men for urinating on a car and got his head stamped on for his trouble.

He should have really crossed the road and let them get on with it, especially if it wasn't his car, or, gone up to the biggest one, laid him out and said "now stop pi55ing on peoples' cars"

If you are not prepared to be violent/aggressive, stay away, and learn to recognise those who are.