Pathways Courses - Silence Hurts

Silence Hurts
Alcohol Abuse and Violence Against Women

Module 4: Alcohol and Domestic Violence - Page 12 of 23

Regular alcohol abuse is one of the leading risk factors for intimate partner violence.²²
Abused women of all races report higher stress, less support from partners, less support from others, lower self-esteem and increased substance abuse than those women not abused.²³
A national survey of female college students found that 15 percent had been raped at some time since age 14. In 64 percent of cases, the offender was drinking. In 53 percent, the victim was drinking.²⁴
Attackers who abuse alcohol most frequently commit more severe sexual assaults.²⁵
The relationship between alcohol abuse and abuse of women is strongest for men who already believe that male power and control over a woman are acceptable in certain situations.²⁶
A woman drinking alcohol is at risk for becoming the victim of sexual assault. Many perpetrators interpret a woman's drinking as sexual consent. This can lead to assault. Many assailants believe that women who do not strongly resist their advances are agreeing to sex.²⁷
Drinking by offenders and victims has been associated with assaults occurring in less planned social situations (e.g., bars, parties) in which the victim did not know the offender well before the assault.²⁸