Alcohol plays a major role in the aftermath of a sexual assault. Women often drink to deal with the trauma and may end up re-victimized. They may also feel responsible for the attack and may not seek out treatment.
Women who were sexually abused as children may also turn to alcohol to cope. This puts them at risk of re-victimization and PTSD. Not to mention the negative impact of problem drinking.
Increased vulnerability
Several studies have investigated the relationship between alcohol and sexual assault. The studies have mostly used surveys of sexual assault victims to determine the extent of alcohol consumption and sexual experiences. However, this approach has several limitations, and further research is needed to understand whether alcohol consumption precedes sexual assault. This article provides information on this issue, and highlights some potential solutions to this problem.
Alcohol is one of the most common substances used during crimes of sexual assault. But other drugs are also used by perpetrators, including Rohypnol, GHB, GBL, and ketamine. Many of these drugs act as sedatives, which make the victims more susceptible to assault. They also impair the victims’ memory and impair their ability to resist the assault. Alcohol increases the effects of these drugs, making them a dangerous combination for sexual assault victims.
Although the number of sexual assaults has decreased in recent years, this issue continues to cause serious emotional problems in survivors. Currently, more than half of women who experience sexual assault do not report the incident to anyone. Many of them feel humiliated, disbelieved, and denied support. Even worse, many victims are blamed for the assault and are accused of contributing to it. However, there are many things women can do to reduce their risk of sexual assault.
Increased likelihood of forced sex
Alcohol has long been associated with sexual assaults, but not all incidents are caused by alcohol. For example, men who force sex on a woman may not be drinking alcohol. They may be teased or led on by a woman, or they may be intoxicated and acting aggressively. However, alcohol may enhance these aggressive behaviors because it impairs men’s ability to think of non-aggressive solutions.
There are two categories of alcohol consumption: proximal and distal. Proximal factors are those that are close to the assault, while distal factors are those that occur far away. Proximal factors include personality traits and life experiences. Alcohol consumption is a distal factor, meaning that alcohol consumption patterns and experiences may influence sexual assault.
In addition to lowering victims’ sense of risk, alcohol is used to facilitate sexual assaults by increasing the likelihood of the attacker to attack them. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of sexual assaults are reported to law enforcement. In many cases, both parties are responsible for the assault, so there is no accountability for the victim. However, if the perpetrators are under the influence of alcohol, the consequences can be disastrous.
Increased risk of re-victimization
Although it is difficult to determine the prevalence of sexual assault, studies have suggested that alcohol plays a prominent role in nearly half of the cases. These crimes are typically unreported and thus cannot be easily measured, but estimates are based on a variety of sources, including police reports, national random samples of crime victims, incarcerated rapists, and surveys of female and male college students. To arrive at these estimates, most researchers use multi-item scales that contain questions describing sexual assault in simple, non-legal language.
The GSS also includes questions about income, which allows researchers to explore links between victimization and income. Among Canadians, one in ten people (10%) reported experiencing financial difficulty in 2019. Those who reported experiencing financial difficulty had a nearly doubled rate of violent victimization compared to their non-economically challenged counterparts.
Other factors that increase the likelihood of being a victim include age and gender. Those aged 45 to 54 were twice as likely to experience victimization. Another factor associated with violence is sexual orientation. Non-heterosexuals have double the risk of becoming a victim of violent crime.
Link between alcohol and date rape drugs
Alcohol is a common factor in many sexual assaults, but the exact number is difficult to determine. In the United States alone, alcohol is implicated in roughly half of all sexual assaults. This is not surprising, since alcohol has a negative impact on brain structures that control sexual behavior. It can increase aggression, sexual desire, and emotional instability, and a victim under the influence of alcohol cannot consciously give consent to sexual activities. In addition, men who drink prior to sexual assault may also be less capable of providing consent.
The prevalence of alcohol consumption and sexual assault is particularly high among college students. A significant percentage of victims report drinking at the time of the assault. Some estimates put this number as high as 70%. While victims are never to blame for an assault, perpetrators are morally and legally responsible for their actions. Studies have shown that alcohol consumption increases the risk of sexual assault by up to 79%.
In addition to increasing risks of sexual assault, alcohol consumption has been shown to reduce the feeling of danger. Unfortunately, only ten percent of these assaults are reported to the authorities. Many of these victims blame themselves and fear that the perpetrator will not help them get the support they need. This problem is particularly exacerbated by the fact that alcohol use reduces the victim’s sensitivity to danger. Fortunately, a treatment program can provide support and education for both the victim and perpetrator.