Seasonal rises in alcohol-related harm and violence against women
Increased alcohol use over the summer holiday period contributes to spikes in male-perpetrated violence against women, children and young people in Aotearoa New Zealand. A new Briefing from the Public Health Communication Centre Aotearoa (PHCC) emphasises how these spikes demonstrate the need for action on alcohol’s role in the broader burden of gender-based violence.
Lizzie Barratt (Health Promotion Advisor) and Dr Debbie Hager (researcher) explore how alcohol intersects with gender inequality, colonisation and harmful social norms. Their analysis outlines alcohol’s contribution to violence, the limits of current responses and the need for gender-responsive alcohol harm reduction.
New Zealand ranks among the ten worst OECD countries for violence against women. Alcohol is involved in more than half of physical and sexual assaults and one third of family violence cases.
Briefing author Lizzie Barratt from Alcohol Healthwatch says heavy drinking can intensify abusive behaviour among those already prone to violence. “This can include physical, sexual, psychological and economic abuse.”
The authors outline how alcohol-related harm is shaped by historical and structural factors, including colonisation, socioeconomic disadvantage and systemic racism.
“These factors more severely harm wāhine Māori and other communities facing multiple forms of inequality. Alcohol availability, affordability, and pervasive marketing add to this context with an inflammatory and unnecessary influence, including by compounding harmful gender norms and expectations.”
“We see it in the excusing of men for their behaviour, such as a lawyer recently arguing that his client is a “great guy when he’s sober,” or other common justifications such as “boys will be boys”. Meanwhile, the alcohol industry’s harmful (and heavily gendered) strategies, including sports sponsorship, continue to drive immense harms in their relentless pursuit of profit.
The Briefing calls for greater recognition of gender in alcohol policy, research, and practice.
International evidence shows that common sense measures such as reducing alcohol advertising, availability and industry influence can contribute to reducing the life-long and intergenerational harms perpetrated by gendered violence. However, the authors note that current regulatory settings in Aotearoa NZ remain weak by global standards.
“We know that when alcohol is more available, it drives more harm and vice versa. Harm reduction approaches that prioritise women’s rights, autonomy, and agency over commercial interests are essential to changes that can better support our collective wellbeing. This should include stronger safeguards against the alcohol industry’s influence, and more transparency to support effective and equitable decision-making processes.”
Read or download "Seasonal rises in alcohol-related harm and violence against women" from the Public Health Communication Centre Aotearoa.