Explicating Alcohol???s Role in Acquaintance Sexual Assault: Complementary Perspectives and Convergent Findings

Abstract

This article summarizes the proceedings of a symposium presented at the 2004 meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. There were four presentations and a discussant. The symposium was co-chaired by Tina Zawacki and Jeanette Norris. The first presentation was made by Jeanette Norris, who found that alcohol consumption and preexisting alcohol expectancies affected women's hypothetical responses to a vignette depicting acquaintance sexual aggression. The second presentation was made by Joel Martell, who reported that alcohol-induced impairment of executive cognitive functioning mediated the effect of intoxication on men's perceptions of a sexual assault vignette. In the third presentation, Antonia Abbey found that the experiences of women whose sexual assault involved intoxication or force were more negative than were the experiences of women whose sexual assault involved verbal coercion. The fourth presentation was made by Tina Zawacki, who reported that men who perpetrated sexual assault only in adolescence differed from men who continued perpetration into adulthood in terms of their drinking patterns and attitudes toward women. William H. George discussed these findings in terms of their implications for theory development and prevention programming.

Male‐to‐female sexual aggression among Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam veterans: Co‐occurring substance abuse and intimate partner aggression

“…This pattern suggests sexual aggressors were characterized by nonsexual aggression and substance abuse, not by these mental health problems. If replicated, our pattern of results may begin to suggest that veteran sexual aggression is similar to that of civilians, in that substance abuse (Zawacki et al, 2005) and nonsexual partner aggression (Hogben & Waterman, 2001) are associated with sexual violence, and PTSD may not be an important predictor (see also Begic & Jokic-Begic, 2001). The effect for depression suggests it may have had a protective function for sexual aggression.…”

“…Substance use, depression, and PTSD may increase risk for aggression by altering social information processing and social decision making (Chemtob, Novaco, Hamada, Gross, & Smith, 1997;Taft, Vogt, Marshall, Panuzio, & Niles, 2007;Testa, 2004, Zawacki et al, 2005. The association between PTSD and physical aggression also may be mediated by factors such as anger or psychological reactivity (Beckham, Moore, & Reynolds, 2000;Chemtob et al, 1997;Taft, Kaloupek, et al, 2007).…”

Drug facilitated sexual assault – A review

“…26 In 2004, the Research Society on Alcoholism, RSA, held a symposium in Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada and subsequently published a summary of the proceedings entitled 'Explicating Alcohol's Role in Acquaintance Sexual Assault: Complementary Perspectives and Convergent Findings'. 28 Four presentations were delivered, two of which examined female responses. The first, from Jeanette Norris, outlined a hypothetical model of the inter-relationships between alcohol consumption, expectancies, cognitions and resistance.…”

“…It was emphasised that the complete onus for avoiding sexual assault should not be placed on women, but that this information could be used to empower women to have more control in these types of situations. 28 Abbey then presented a comparative study of sexual assaults involving intoxication, physical force and verbal coercion. All 3 types of sexual assault were found to have negative consequences for the victim.…”

“…Some of the findings were consistent with interpretations drawn from alcohol expectancy theory and/or alcohol myopia theory. 28 It was suggested; young men may drink and encourage a woman's drinking on the basis of alcohol expectancies that subsequently steer attention myopically towards rapeprone foci as intoxication rises, ensnaring both people in an unfortunate trajectory. 28 …”