Sex-related Alcohol Expectancies and Perceptions of Sexual Assault

Sex-related Alcohol Expectancies and Perceptions of Sexual Assault
Author: Walter Thomas Rueff
Publisher:
Total Pages: 134
Release: 2017
Genre:
ISBN:

Alcohol use has often been linked with sexual violence. Pumphrey-Gordon and Gross (2007) note that “among the numerous factors that have been associated with the occurrence of sexual assault, the use of alcohol is the most reliable” (p. 476). Novel autonomy places undergraduates at a nexus alcohol use and sexual experiences, as well as the potential negative consequences of both. This confluence of factors contributes to proportionally higher rates of risky sexual behaviors and sexual assaults among undergraduates. Alcohol expectancies, beliefs about the outcomes and consequence of drinking alcohol, have been shown to influence drinking behaviors, which have, in turn, been linked with higher rates of sexual activity and an increased incidence of sexual assault. (Goldman & Roehrich, 1991; Cooper, Frone, Russell, & Mudar, 1995). Individuals’ endorsements of sex-related alcohol expectancies (SRAE) have also been demonstrated to be predictive of various potentially detrimental behaviors such as increased drinking, and risky sexual behaviors. However, research regarding the role of SRAE in people’s perceptions of sexual violence as third-party observers is scarce. The purpose of this present investigation is to build upon extant sexual assault literature related to alcohol consumption, AE, SRAE, and perceptions of sexual violence, with a particular emphasis on response latency (how quickly individuals are able to recognize assaultive behavior) and victim blame attribution. This study evaluated the relationship between AE, SRAE, and perceptions of sexual assault using an audio vignette depicting an acquaintance rape (Marx & Gross, 1995). Measures assessing demographic factors, alcohol consumption patterns, AE, and SRAE were employed. Participants listened to the audio vignette depicting a sexual assault, which was prefaced as either involving alcohol or not involving alcohol, and were instructed to indicate when during the vignette the encounter had become inappropriate. They subsequently completed measures assessing blame attribution related to the vignette. It was expected that AE would account for unique variance in predicting response latency and victim blame attribution, after controlling for demographic factors, alcohol context, and drinking habits. It was also expected that SRAE would account for unique variance in response latency and victim blaming after all factors and AE were controlled for. These hypotheses were tested using hierarchical multiple regression analyses for response latency and victim blame models using the following steps: demographic factors (step 1), drinking habits (DDQ; step 2), alcohol context (step 3), AE (AEQ; step 4), and SRAE scores (AEQ SRAE subscale; step 5). Findings indicate that, for response latency, AE was the only variable which was a unique predictor. For victim blame, demographic variables, alcohol context, and AE were all identified as unique predictors. SRAE were not found to account for unique variance in either model. Implications of findings are discussed.

Alcohol Consumption as a Leading Factor in Sexual Assault in the University Community

Alcohol Consumption as a Leading Factor in Sexual Assault in the University Community
Author: Prince Udoyen
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
Total Pages: 60
Release: 2022-09-16
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 3346725146

Master's Thesis from the year 2022 in the subject Sociology - Law and Delinquency, grade: 4.00, , language: English, abstract: Sexual assault has become prevalent among members of the university community. This has prompted researchers to critically examine risk factors that propel the prevalence of sexual assault in the university community. Arrays of factors generally lead to the prevalence of sexual assault, but alcohol consumption has remained the leading factor. This study provided a systematic response to the question of if alcohol has any connection with sexual assaults at Sheffield University. The primary aim of the research critically established that alcohol consumption is a leading factor in sexual assault in the university community. The study implemented both quantitative method and qualitative methods. Data were collated from students and academic and non-academic members of the university community. A total of 150 persons participated in the study, wherein 67% were female participants, 30% were male participants and 3% were non-gender specified participants. The findings of the study, which emanate from the collated and presented data, provide insight into the nature of alcohol consumption among people at the University of Sheffield.

Intimate Betrayal

Intimate Betrayal
Author: Vernon R. Wiehe
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Total Pages: 231
Release: 1995-07-13
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 145224748X

Focused and timely. . . . Chapters on special issues highlight marital rape, legal factors, the recovery process, and prevention. Important factual information is interspersed with painfully graphic first-person responses from survivors. This book is an important contribution to the trauma and recovery literature. --Terry L. Sweig in READINGS: A Journal of Reviews and Commentary in Mental Health "This book addresses the problem of acquaintance rape and its complexity in a comprehensive manner. The book provides helpful information and treatment suggestions for those professionals who wish to know more about this important issue. It is a useful addition to the field of mental health." --Doody′s Health Sciences Book Review Journal "Spousal rape and acquaintance rape are treated in this book. It is an important text for therapists in the field." --Ron MacIssac, review in What′s Happening?, Victoria, B.C. Every year thousands of women are raped by someone they know and never report the sexual assault, partly because acquaintance rape is still widely misunderstood in our society and victims are often blamed for the crime. Addressing a need to change perceptions about this type of assault, this important book informs and educates about the nature of acquaintance rape and its impact on the victim, intervention, and prevention. The chapters on intervention include material on crisis intervention, tools for effective rape counseling, and strategies for meeting the psychosocial needs of survivors who are facing long-term recovery due to previous sexual assault victimization. Survivors vividly describe the events in their own words, bringing home the horror of acquaintance rape and the immediate need for action to prevent it. The authors also offer a special chapter on marital rape to expose this long-denied and insidious form of rape. In addition, a useful review of current literature pinpoints interventions crucial to rape prevention. Intimate Betrayal is essential reading for mental health professionals; crisis centers, student services, and law enforcement personnel; pastoral counselors, legal professionals; social workers; and advanced clinical students. But in addition to the helping professionals, this memorable book provides information important to any reader interested in understanding the nature and treatment of acquaintance rape.

Alcohol and Sexual Violence

Alcohol and Sexual Violence
Author: David DiLillo
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 223
Release: 2023-03-25
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 3031244265

This book provides a chronology of the 68th Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, which is focused on contemporary research knowledge about sexual violence and alcohol use. This book is more specific to dating and intimate partner sexual violence in young adult populations. The target audience is researchers, prevention agencies and policymakers within academia and military settings. Alcohol use has long been recognized as a major contributor to sexual assault, with an estimated 50% of sexual assaults in the U.S. involving drinking by the victim, perpetrator, or both. Beyond the usual harmful effects, alcohol-involved assaults are associated with unique sequelae for female victims, including increased self-blame, stigma, and greater alcohol use to cope. Moreover, heavier drinking on the part of the perpetrator is associated with more serious incidents of assault (e.g., involving physical force) that result in more severe outcomes for victims. The purpose of this Symposium on Motivation is to bring together a group of experts in the areas of alcohol and sexual aggression to articulate the causes, consequences, and mechanisms of alcohol-involved sexual assault. Speakers will talk about classic and contemporary research and theories on these issues using cutting-edge approaches (e.g., virtual reality, neuroscience, laboratory-based alcohol administration) from a variety of perspectives (perpetrators, victims, bystanders).

Reducing Underage Drinking

Reducing Underage Drinking
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 761
Release: 2004-03-26
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309089352

Alcohol use by young people is extremely dangerous - both to themselves and society at large. Underage alcohol use is associated with traffic fatalities, violence, unsafe sex, suicide, educational failure, and other problem behaviors that diminish the prospects of future success, as well as health risks â€" and the earlier teens start drinking, the greater the danger. Despite these serious concerns, the media continues to make drinking look attractive to youth, and it remains possible and even easy for teenagers to get access to alcohol. Why is this dangerous behavior so pervasive? What can be done to prevent it? What will work and who is responsible for making sure it happens? Reducing Underage Drinking addresses these questions and proposes a new way to combat underage alcohol use. It explores the ways in which may different individuals and groups contribute to the problem and how they can be enlisted to prevent it. Reducing Underage Drinking will serve as both a game plan and a call to arms for anyone with an investment in youth health and safety.

The Association Between the Amount of Alcohol Consumed by a Female and the Level of Blame Attributed to Her in a Hypothetical Date-rape Scenario

The Association Between the Amount of Alcohol Consumed by a Female and the Level of Blame Attributed to Her in a Hypothetical Date-rape Scenario
Author: Lirije Hyseni
Publisher:
Total Pages: 150
Release: 2011
Genre:
ISBN:

Background: Victims of sexual assault have been reported to blame themselves for the incident. They see themselves as having somehow contributed to the situation. Self-blame associated with a sexual assault is argued to be socially constructed, influenced by culture's perception of sexual crimes. A specific behaviour that appears to contribute to victim's self-blame is alcohol use during the sexual assault incident. Approximately half of sexual assaults are associated with alcohol consumption by one or both parties. Victims who consume alcohol during the incident are more likely to blame themselves for the event. Self-blame has been linked to a decreased likelihood of reporting a sexual assault to authorities, as victims predict that others will disapprove their behaviour and blame them for their victimization. Limited research has been conducted on attribution of blame to the female victims who have been under the influence of alcohol during the sexual assault incident. Objective: To examine the association between a female's level of intoxication and the level of blame attributed to her, and how this is modified by initiation and severity of the event, in a hypothetical date-rape scenario. Methods: Secondary data analyses of 1004 quantitative telephone surveys completed in Sweden by randomly selected young adults aged 16-24. Date-rape vignettes were used and male's and female's levels of intoxication, severity of the outcome and the person initiating the sexual contact (perpetrator or victim) were manipulated. The depended variable was the amount of blame assigned to the female in the hypothetical date-rape scenario. The attribution of blame to the female was analysed using factorial ANOVA in SAS. Results: For female respondents, the level of blame attributed to the female in the hypothetical date-rape scenario depended on a three-way interaction between the inebriation level, initiation, and severity, controlling for female respondents' living situation in the last 12 months, their frequency of drinking five or more drinks in the past 12 months, and their expectancy that 'alcohol makes people more sexual'. For male respondents, however, the level of blame attributed only depended on the severity of the situation, controlling for male respondents' mean number of standard drinks to feel the effects of alcohol and their attitude that 'alcohol lessons control'. Conclusion: The inebriation level of the female in the date-rape scenario has been illustrated to impact the amount of blame attributed to her, by female respondents. This has implications for reporting rates of sexual crimes, and thus should be addressed by future policies and programs.

Gender Roles in the Future? Theoretical Foundations and Future Research Directions

Gender Roles in the Future? Theoretical Foundations and Future Research Directions
Author: Alice H. Eagly
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2019-11-01
Genre:
ISBN: 2889631400

The study of gender is deservedly a major focus of research in the discipline of psychology in general and social psychology in particular. Interest in the topic increased sharply in the 1970s with the flowering of the feminist movement, and research has continued to advance since that time. In 1987, Alice Eagly formulated Social Role Theory to explain the behavior of women and men as well as the stereotypes, attitudes, and ideologies that are relevant to sex and gender. Enhanced by several extensions over the intervening years, this theory became one of the pre-eminent, if not the central, theory of gender in social psychology. Also, over the last decades, social psychologists have developed a variety of related approaches to understanding gender, including, for instance, theories devoted to stereotyping, leadership, status, backlash, lack of fit to occupational roles, social identity, and categorization. Reflecting these elements, this e-Book includes articles that encompasses a wide range of themes pertaining to sex and gender. In these papers, the concept of social roles appears often as central integrative concept that links individuals with their social environment. These articles thereby complement social role theory as the authors reach out to build an extended theoretical foundation for gender research of the future.

A Review of the Literature on Sexual Assault Perpetrator Characteristics and Behaviors

A Review of the Literature on Sexual Assault Perpetrator Characteristics and Behaviors
Author: Sarah Michal Greathouse
Publisher: Rand Corporation
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2015
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN:

"Sexual assault continues to be a pervasive problem, both for society in general and within the military community. To assist the Air Force in its continued efforts to combat sexual assault within its ranks, we reviewed the existing empirical literature on the characteristics and behaviors of adult perpetrators who commit sexual assault against other adults. Our search was not limited to studies of military populations. While a vast majority of the existing literature has focused on sole male perpetrators who assault female victims, we identified some research on other types of perpetrators, including female sexual assault perpetrators, men who perpetrate assault against other men, and perpetrators who participate in group sexual assault. This body of research indicates that adult perpetrators are diverse in terms of their demographics, background characteristics, and motivations. Moreover, research indicates that sexual assault perpetration is likely influenced by a combination of factors, including an individual's developmental and family history; his or her personality, including attitudes/cognitions; and environmental factors, including peer attitudes and alcohol consumption. The complexity of factors that influence sexual assault perpetration and the multiple pathways that lead to an attack make it difficult to predict whether an individual is prone to commit sexual assault. While predicting sexual assault perpetration is problematic, we identified a number of factors related to perpetration that may be relevant for intervention efforts and offer recommendations for the Air Force"--Publisher's web site.