Severity of physical aggression reported by university students: A test of the interaction between trait aggression and alcohol consumption

As part of an online study of aggression, 2647 full-time undergraduate students at six Canadian universities completed the Aggression Questionnaire (Buss & Perry, 1992) and reported on whether they had been involved in incidents of physical aggression in the past 12 months at a (1) bar, nightclub or pub, (2) home or residence, and (3) party or social event. About one in four students reported an incident. Scores on the physical trait aggression scale correlated significantly with severity of aggression in the three locations. Males reported higher severity than did females in the three locations. Alcohol consumption was significantly related to severity at bars and parties but not in the home location. Support was found for an interaction between the physical trait aggression scale and drinking at the time of the incident predicting the severity of aggression for incidents reported in bars.