Work

The Relationship Between the Quantity of Alcohol Consumed and the Severity of Sexual Assaults Committed by College Men

Year: 2003

Type: article

Abstract: Researchers have suggested that intoxicated perpetrators may act more violently than other perpetrators, although empirical findings have been mixed. Past research has focused on whether or not alcohol was consumed, rather than the quantity consumed, and this may explain these inconsistent findings. The authors hypothesized that the quantity of alcohol consumed would have a curvilinear relationship to the severity of the assault. Data were collected from 113 college men who reported that they had committed a sexual assault since the age of 14. The quantity of alcohol that perpetrators consumed during the assault was linearly related to how much aggression they used and was curvilinearly related to the type of sexual assault committed. The quantity of alcohol that victims consumed during the assault was linearly related to the type of sexual assault committed. Strategies for improving assessment of alcohol consumption in sexual assault research are discussed.

Source: Journal of Interpersonal Violence

DOI: 10.1177/0886260503018007008

Authors: Antonia Abbey, A. Monique Clinton-Sherrod, Pam McAuslan, Tina Zawacki, Philip O. Buck

Institutions: Wayne State University, RTI International, University of Michigan–Dearborn, University of Washington

Language: English

Topic: Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Mental Health