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

Facts About Substance Abuse and Violence Against Women

• Regular alcohol abuse is one of the leading risk factors for intimate partner violence.¹
• Attackers who abuse alcohol most frequently tend to commit more severe sexual assaults than those who do not abuse alcohol.
• The relationship between alcohol and drug abuse and abuse of women is strongest for those men who already believe that male power and control over a woman are acceptable in certain situations.¹
• A national survey of female college students found that 15 percent were raped at some time since age 14. In 64 percent of these cases, the offender was drinking, and in 53 percent of the cases, the victim was drinking.²
• Abused women of all races reported higher stress, less support from partners, less support from others, lower self-esteem, and increased substance abuse.³
• Drinking by offenders and victims is associated with assaults occurring in social situations (such as bars, parties) in which the victim does not know the offender well before the assault.
• A woman drinking alcohol may increase her risk of sexual assault. Attackers may interpret a woman's drinking as sexual consent and this can lead to later assault. Assailants may also believe that women who do not strongly resist their advances are, therefore, agreeing to have sex.⁴
• Alcohol use precedes acts of domestic violence in 25 to 50 percent of all cases.⁵

A printable version (PDF) is available.
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References

1. "Making the Link Between Alcohol and Other Drugs and Domestic Violence." Plainville, CT: Connecticut Clearinghouse.
2. Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin. "National Crime Victimization Survey." Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2001.
3. Curry, M.A. The interrelationship between abuse, substance use and psychosocial stress during pregnancy. American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing 1999, 24(4):211.
4. Ullman, S.A.; Karabatsos, G.; and Koss, M.P. Alcohol and sexual aggression in a national sample of college men. Psychology of Women Quarterly 1999, 23:673-689.
5. "Domestic Violence and the Workplace" curriculum. Bowie: Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence, 1999.