This report draws on analysis of approximately 63,046 anonymised witness statements taken by the National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV), examining how alcohol is referenced within applications for protective injunctions. The aim is not to determine causation, but to understand how alcohol appears in lived experience, how it is described by applicants, and how it intersects with abusive behaviour.

Key findings at a glance:

• Alcohol is frequently referenced, but not universally present.

Many applicants describe abuse occurring when the perpetrator was intoxicated; many others report severe abuse where alcohol played no role.

• Alcohol does not cause domestic abuse.

The data consistently supports existing evidence that domestic abuse is rooted in power, control, and entitlement. Alcohol may exacerbate, escalate, or expose abuse,but it does not create it.