Alcohol-related violence causes substantial death, injury and health problems. The 2004 Global Burden of Disease project estimated that alcohol-attributable violence accounted for 248,000 deaths annually worldwide [1]. As noted by Bellis and Hughes in this issue [2], the link between alcohol and violence has been recognized as far back as the 4th century BC. However, understanding this link and especially how to prevent alcohol-fuelled violence continues to perplex contemporary scientists and policy-makers. Thus, in March 2010, researchers from 14 countries met in Melbourne to present recent research on this topic and discuss issues and solutions. This special issue includes 12 papers from that conference. Other papers from the conference are included in a companion issue published in Contemporary Drug Problems, Volume 38(2), 2011.