Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty Member

Samantha Wells PhD

Research Interests

• aggression, violence and victimization
• role of alcohol in aggression and victimization
• role of the drinking context in aggression
• gender differences in factors associated with aggression
• barroom aggression
• young men’s attitudes and beliefs about aggression when drinking
• masculnity, drinking and alcohol-related aggression
• drinking practices of young people

Education & Training History

PhD, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Western Ontario

MA, Sociology, University of Western Ontario

BA, Mathematics, University of New Brunswick

Other Affiliations

Scientist, Social and Epidemiological Research Department, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) (2005-present)

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario (2006-present)

Honours & Awards

Expert Panel, CIHR Institute for Gender and Health Roundtable on Gender and Violence, Ottawa, Jan 28-29, 2010.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research/National Health Research and Development Program Ph.D. Research Training Fellowship, 2000-2004 ($72,000);

Graduate Tuition Scholarship, University of Western Ontario, 2000-2004 ($22,800);

Ontario Graduate Scholarship, 2000 (declined) ($11,859);

Current Research Projects

Graham, K. (NPI), Wells, S. (PI), Rehm, J. (PI), Rush, B. (PI), N. Kurdyak, P (Co-I), Kates, N (Co-I), Marsh, D (Co-I), Mason, R (Co-I), Simpson, S (Co-I). Five views on a journey: Developing a systems model of treatment and care for mental health, substance use and violence problems. CIHR Partnerships for Health Systems Improvement Grant (267416), 2012 – 2015.

Wells, S. (NPI), Cairney, J. (PI), Graham, K. (PI), Kates, N. (PI), Rehm, J. (PI), Chaition, M. (Co-App), Kennedy, J. (Co-App), Lobo, D. (Co-App), Menzies, P. (Co-App), Tyndale, R. (Co-App), Verjee, Z. (Co-App). The Ontario communities project: Using a mobile research laboratory to improve understanding, treatment and prevention of addiction and mental illness co-morbidities at the individual and community level. CIHR Emerging Team Grant: Co-morbidity of brain disorders and other health problems (CBG – 101926), 2010-2014.

Graham, K., Osgood, W., Wells, S., Bernards, S. Preventing bar violence: New directions from theory-based multi-level analyses. National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), PA-07-071 Secondary analysis of existing alcohol epidemiology data (R01) 2009-2012.

Macdonald, S., Borges, G., Callaghan, R., Roth, E., Salmon, A., Stockwell, T., Wells, S. Patterns and consequences of cocaine and alcohol use for substance abuse treatment clients. CIHR Operating Grant (MOP- 185750-PSB-CABA-54565), 2008-2012.

Representative Publications

Graham, K., Bernards, S., Osgood, D.W., Parks, M, Abbey, A., Felson, R.B., Saltz, R.F., Wells, S. Apparent motives for aggression in the social context of the bar. Psychology of Violence (In press).

Graham, K., Bernards, S., Flynn, A., Tremblay, P. F., & Wells, S. Does the relationship between depression and intimate partner aggression vary by gender, victim-perpetrator role and aggression severity? Violence and Victims (In press).

Labhart , F., Graham, K., Wells, S., Kuntsche, E. Drinking before going to licensed premises: An event level analysis of pre-drinking, alcohol consumption and adverse consequences. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (In press).

Wells, Graham, K. & Tremblay, P. Understanding men’s aggression in bars: Development of the beliefs and attitudes toward male alcohol-related aggression (BAMARA) inventory. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (In press).

Graham, K., Bernards, S., Osgood, W., Wells, S. “Hotspots” for Aggression in Licensed Drinking Venues. Drug and Alcohol Review, 31(4), 377-384, 2012.

Graham, K., Bernards, S., Wells, S., Osgood, W., Abbey, A., & Felson, R.B. Behavioural indicators of motives for barroom aggression: Implications for preventing bar violence. Drug and Alcohol Review, 30(5), 554-563, 2011.

Wells, S., Giesbrecht, N., Ialomiteanu, A., Graham, K. The association of drinking pattern with aggression involving alcohol and with verbal versus physical aggression. Contemporary Drug Problems, 38, 259-279, 2011.

Wells, S., Graham, K., Tremblay, P.F., Reynolds, J. Measuring young men’s expected effects of alcohol in provoking situations in bars. Contemporary Drug Problems, 38, 281-309, 2011.

Wells, S., Flynn, A., Graham, K., Rehm, J., Cairney, J., Kates, N., Kennedy, J.L., Lobo, D.S.S., Chaiton, M., Menzies, P., Tyndale, R.F., & Verjee, Z. Using a mobile laboratory to study mental health, addictions, and violence: a research plan. Challenges, 2(1), 1-18, 2011.

Wells, S., Graham, K., Tremblay, P.F., & Magyarody, N. Not just the booze talking. Trait aggression and hypermasculinity distinguish perpetrators from victims of male barroom aggression. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 35(3), 1-8, 2011.

Wells, S., Neighbors, C., Graham, K., & Tremblay, P.F. Defending girlfriends, buddies and oneself: Perceived social norms and alcohol-related aggression among young adult men. Addictive Behaviors, 36(4), 416-420, 2011.

Graham, K., Wells, S., Bernards, S., & Dennison, S. “Yes, I do but not with you” – Qualitative analyses of sexual/romantic overture-related aggression in bars and clubs. Contemporary Drug Problems, 37, 197-240, 2010.

Rehm, J., Giesbrecht, N., Gliksman, L., Graham, K., Le, A.D., Mann, R.E., Room, R., Rush, B., Tyndale, R.F., & Wells, S. Substance abuse research in a modern health care centre – The case of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Addiction, 106(4), 689-697, 2010.

Tremblay, P.F., Graham, K., Wells, S., Harris, R., Pulford, R., & Roberts, S.E. When do college students drink most during the first academic year? An internet based study of daily and weekly drinking. Journal of American College Health, 58(5), 401-411, 2010.

Mihic, L., Wells, S., Graham, K., Tremblay, P.F., & Demers, A. Situational and respondent-level motives for drinking and alcohol-related aggression: A multilevel analysis of drinking events in a sample of Canadian university students. Addictive Behaviors, 34, 264-269, 2009.

Wells, S. Graham, K., & Tremblay, P.F. ‘Every male in there is your competition’: Young men’s expectations of the role of the drinking setting in male-to-male barroom aggression. Substance Use and Misuse, 44, 1434-1462, 2009.

Wells. S., & Thompson, J.M. Alcohol-related victimization among young adult Canadian drinkers: The explanatory roles of hazardous drinking and illicit drug use. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 100(1), 55-59, 2009.

Wells, S., Graham, K., & Purcell, J. Policy implications of the widespread practice of “predrinking” or “pregaming” before going to public drinking establishments – Are current prevention strategies backfiring? Addiction, 104, 4-9, 2009.

Wells, S., Graham, K., & Purcell, J. When the object is to get drunk, pre-drinking matters. Addiction, 104, 11-12, 2009.

Tremblay, P. F., Graham, K., & Wells S. Severity of physical aggression reported by university students: A test of the interaction between trait aggression and alcohol consumption. Personality and Individual Differences, 45, 3-9, 2008.

Wells, S., Mihic, L., Tremblay, P.F., Graham, K., & Demers, A. Where, with whom, and how much alcohol is consumed on drinking events involving aggression? Event-level associations in a Canadian national survey of university students. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 32(3), 1-12, 2008.

Macdonald, S., Erickson, P., Wells, S., Hathaway, A., & Pakula B. Predicting violence among cocaine, cannabis, and alcohol treatment clients. Addictive Behaviors, 33, 201-205, 2008.

Bernards, S., Graham, K., Demers, A., Kairouz, S., & Wells, S. Gender and the assessment of at-risk drinking: Evidence from the GENACIS Canada (2004-2005) telephone survey version of the AUDIT. Drug Alcohol Dependence, 88 (2-3), 282-290, 2007.

Wells, S. Differences in predictors of alcohol-related aggression and non-alcohol-related violent perpetration: An exploratory analysis in a sample of young adult drinkers. Contemporary Drug Problems, 33, 563-583, 2007.

Wells, S., Graham, K., & Tremblay, P.F. Beliefs, attitudes, and male-to-male barroom aggression: Development of a theoretical predictive model. Addiction Research and Theory, 15(6), 575-586, 2007.

Wells, S., Speechley, M., Koval, J.J., & Graham, K. Gender differences in the relationship between heavy episodic drinking, social roles, and alcohol-related aggression in a U.S. sample of late adolescent and young adult drinkers. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 33, 21-29, 2007.

Wells, S., Thompson, J.M., Cherpitel, C., Macdonald, S., Marais, S., & Borges, G. Gender differences in the relationship between alcohol and violent injury: An analysis of cross-national emergency department data. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 68(6), 824-833, 2007.

Wells, S., & Graham, K. Verbal versus physical victimization from other people’s drinking: How do gender, age and their interactions with drinking pattern affect vulnerability? Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 68(4), 582-586, 2007.

Graham, K., Bernards, S., Osgood, D.W. & Wells, S. Bad nights or bad bars? Multi-level analysis of environmental predictors of aggression in late-night large-capacity bars and clubs. Addiction, 101(11), 1569-1580, 2006.

Graham, K., Tremblay, P.F., Wells, S., Pernanen, K., Purcell, J., & Jelley, J. Harm, intent and the nature of aggressive behavior. Assessment, 13(3), 280-296, 2006.

Graham, K., Osgood D.W., Wells, S., & Stockwell, T. To what extent is intoxication associated with aggression in bars? A Multilevel Analysis. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 67(3), 382-390, 2006.

Macdonald, S., Csiernik, R., Durand, P., Wild, T.C., Dooley, S., Rylett, M., & Wells, S. Changes in the prevalence and characteristics of workplace health programs in Ontario: 1989 to 2003. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 22(1), 53-64, 2006.

Wells, S., Graham, K., Speechley, M., & Koval, J. Do predisposing and family background characteristics modify or confound the relationship between drinking frequency and alcohol-related aggression? A study of late adolescent and young adult drinkers. Addictive Behaviors, 31(4), 661-675, 2006.

Wells, S., Graham, K., Speechley, M., & Koval, J. Drinking patterns, drinking contexts, and alcohol-related aggression among late adolescent and young adult drinkers. Addiction, 100, 933-944, 2005.

Graham, K., & Wells, S. “Somebody’s gonna get their head kicked in tonight” Aggression among young males in bars – A question of values. The British Journal of Criminology, 43, 546-566, 2003.

Wells, S., & Graham, K. Aggression involving alcohol: relationship to drinking patterns and social context. Addiction, 98(1), 33-42, 2003.

Wells, S., & Graham, K. Emotional effect of physical aggression among adults in the general population in a Canadian province. Psychological Reports, 92, 218-222, 2003.

Graham, K., & Wells, S. The two worlds of aggression for men and women. Sex Roles, 45(9/10), 595-622, 2002.

Graham, K., Wells, S., & Jelley, J. The social context of physical aggression among adults. The Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 17(1), 64-83, 2002.