CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to the Issues
2. Understanding Alcohol Abuse
3. Understanding Violence Against Women
4. Alcohol and Domestic Violence
5. Alcohol, Sexual Assault, and Rape
6. Prevention and Early Intervention
7. Screening and Assessment
8. Diagnosis and Treatment
9. Legal and Ethical Issues

Supplements
Fact Sheets
Videos
Resources

Silence Hurts
Alcohol Abuse and Violence Against Women

Factors Involved in Sexual Assault

Young women who are aged 16 to 24 years are at the highest risk of sexual assault.⁸ Roughly one quarter of all women are sexually assaulted by the time they graduate from college (or reach age 25). Unfortunately, most sexual assaults go unreported because of the stigma attached to sexual assault.⁹

Sexual assault is especially prevalent in high schools and on college campuses. There are several factors that help contribute to the increased risk of sexual assault. Some of these factors include:

• The strict way in which our culture stereotypes men and women. For example, society still encourages men to be competitive and aggressive, while teaching women to be more passive and non-confrontational.
• The increased use of alcohol for social gatherings. Alcohol consumption is the largest risk factor for sexual assault by an acquaintance.¹⁰ In fact, in a national study, more than 50 percent of high school seniors report drinking alcohol in the past 30 days.¹¹ According to Columbia University's National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, alcohol is involved in 90 percent of campus rapes.
  
  Alcohol often forms the basis for social interactions on campus. There is a positive correlation between the amount of alcohol consumed on a campus and the incidences of sexual assault. The more alcohol there is, the more incidences of sexual assault.
• Another factor may be societal norms and lifestyle expectations. Many men misinterpret a woman's words and actions'; "She said no, but she meant yes." Similar norms encourage sex as a recreational activity. While women have fewer reasons to say no to sex, there is still a double standard for men and women.

Social activities that focus around drinking attract more publicity and attention than those that do not have alcohol. Young women need alternatives other than "going to a bar" to meet peers. The lifestyle that encourages bar hopping and consuming as much alcohol as possible at one time puts women at risk for sexual assault. Sexual assault coalitions can help provide additional information.