CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to the Issues
2. Understanding Alcohol Abuse
3. Understanding Violence Against Women
4. Alcohol and Domestic Violence
5. Alcohol, Sexual Assault, and Rape
6. Prevention and Early Intervention
7. Screening and Assessment
8. Diagnosis and Treatment
9. Legal and Ethical Issues

Supplements
Fact Sheets
Videos
Resources

Silence Hurts
Alcohol Abuse and Violence Against Women

Alcohol and Other Drugs Related to Sexual Assault and Rape

Alcohol

Girls in high school and college are at the beginning of their dating experiences. Drinking can become a popular social activity and a way of setting the mood for romance. Since alcohol clouds a person's judgment and decreases motor skills, a woman may not be able to make the best decisions if she has had a few drinks. She may not be able to fend off unwanted sexual advances or escape an uncomfortable situation before it gets out of control.¹⁴ Studies have found that when a woman drinks on a date, she has a greater chance of being sexually assaulted by the man.¹⁵

Men in fraternities have admitted in a survey that they are more likely to try to force a woman to have sex with them if they have been drinking alcohol.¹⁶ They are also more likely to give alcohol to women because they think that women who drink are more willing to have sex. In one study, nearly 20 percent of men admitted to giving or encouraging the use of drugs or alcohol to obtain sex.¹⁷ This is not to suggest that all fraternity members use alcohol to get sex. However, it is a distinct possibility and women need to be cautious.

Lifestyle characteristics that may put a woman at risk for sexual assault include drinking in public places, such as bars or nightclubs, and having multiple sexual partners. If a woman takes risks, such as going to a bar or nightclub alone and drinking, she increases her risk of becoming a victim.¹⁸ To learn more about a lifestyle assessment tool, you can go to Pearson Assessment. The Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI) measures life satisfaction and helps assess problems in 16 key areas of life.

Other Drugs

In the past 10 years, three drugs besides alcohol have been linked to an increased rate of date rape. Since high school and college age youth are using and abusing the drugs the most, it is not surprising that women between the ages of 16 and 24 years are the victims of most sexual violence.¹⁹ These drugs include:

• Rohypnol
• Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB)
• Ketamine