CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. Getting The Basics
2. Substance Abuse
3. Violence Against Women
4. Violent Men
5. Alcohol and Violence
6. Alcohol, Drugs and Sexual Assault (Date Rape)
7. Preventing Sexual Assault
8. After a Rape or Sexual Assault
9. Assistance - Women
10. Assistance - Men
11. Legal Options

Supplements
Resources
Glossary
Fact Sheets

It Won't Happen to Me:
Substance Abuse-Related Violence Against Women for Anyone Concerned About The Issues

Risky Behaviors

Certain behaviors may put a woman at risk for sexual assault. An example may be frequently drinking in public places such as bars or nightclubs. Another example would be multiple sexual partners. If a woman takes risks such as going to a bar or nightclub alone and drinking, she increases her risk of being a victim.

Many men see a woman's drinking as an invitation for sex. Men may believe that forcing sex on a woman who has been drinking is not as bad as if she were sober.⁶ In addition, if a woman has multiple sexual partners, many men will assume she will have sex with them. Alcohol use may further impair a man's judgment, leading to assault.

Binge drinking has become a big problem in many high schools and on college campuses. Students who binge drink are 21 times more likely than nonbinge drinkers to have unplanned sexual activity and unprotected sex.⁹ Binge drinking is defined for men as drinking five or more drinks in a row and for women as four drinks in a row. It is simply too much alcohol in too short a time.

Since the early 1990s, the proportion of college students who binge drink has remained roughly the same (44 percent). However, the proportion of frequent binge drinkers has increased. These are students who binge three or more times in a 2-week period. Students who binge drink tend to be white, 23 or younger, and residents of a fraternity or sorority.¹⁰