Rule by Myth: The Social and Legal Dynamics Governing Alcohol-Related Acquaintance Rapes

Kramer, Karen M.

doi:10.2307/1229223

Cited by 31 publications

(35 citation statements)

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“…Verbal coercion often includes veiled threats, yet outsiders may not understand why the victim did not fight back (DeGue & DiLillo, 2004; Falk, 1998). Although most state and federal statutes treat the use of physical force and the victim’s incapacitation as equally serious offenses, many defense attorneys cast aspersions on impaired victims (Kramer, 1994). Double standards about alcohol consumption lead some people to exonerate intoxicated perpetrators, yet view intoxicated victims as blameworthy and contributing to the sexual assault (Heath, 1993; Stormo, Lang, & Stritzke, 1997).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual Assault Perpetrators’ Tactics: Associations With Their Personal Characteristics and Aspects of the Incident

Abbey

Jacques‐Tiura

2010

J Interpers Violence

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Past theory and empirical research have consistently associated a number of risk factors with sexual assault perpetration. This study extends past research by considering if the tactics which perpetrators use to obtain sex are associated with these risk factors or with characteristics of the sexual assault. Audio computer-assisted self-interviews were completed with a community sample of young, single men. Few participants reported using physical force as a tactic to obtain sex, thus this article focuses on 457 participants who used verbal coercion (n = 152) or the victim’s impairment (n = 39) to obtain sex or who were nonperpetrators (n = 266). Discriminant function analysis correctly classified 70% of participants. As hypothesized, analysis of covariance indicated that both groups of perpetrators scored higher than nonperpetra-tors on measures of negative attitudes toward women, positive attitudes about casual sex, personality traits associated with nonclinical levels of psy-chopathy, antisocial behavior, and alcohol problems. As compared to non-perpetrators describing their worst date, perpetrators knew the woman longer, used more isolating and controlling behaviors, misperceived her sexual intentions for a longer period of time, and engaged in more consensual sexual activities with the woman. Perpetrators who used impairment tactics did not usually consume more alcohol than other participants; however, they consumed much more alcohol during the incident. Although verbal coercion and taking advantage of an impaired victim are sometimes viewed as less serious tactics than the use of force, these findings demonstrate that perpetrators who use these strategies have personality, attitude, and experience profiles that distinguish them from nonperpetrators.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual Assault Perpetrators’ Tactics: Associations With Their Personal Characteristics and Aspects of the Incident

Abbey

Jacques‐Tiura

2010

J Interpers Violence

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“…The alcohol item in the original SES focuses on the man intentionally getting the woman drunk, whereas our added item includes situations in which a man takes advantage of a woman who is incapacitated and unable to consent. Although laws vary across jurisdictions and a few require that the intoxicant was administered without the consent of the victim, rape definitions typically include having sex with someone unable to give consent regardless of whether impairment due to intoxication was voluntary [Kramer, 1994]. Only a few men labeled what they did as rape (n = 5) and all of these men had said yes to one of the questions that asked about using physical force to obtain intercourse or sex acts.…”

Section: Self-reported Rates Of Sexual Assault Perpetrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cross-sectional predictors of sexual assault perpetration in a community sample of single African American and Caucasian men

et al. 2005

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Computer-assisted self-interviews were completed with a random sample of 163 unmarried Caucasian and African American men in a large metropolitan area. Almost a quarter (24.5%) of these men acknowledged committing an act since the age of 14 that met standard legal definitions of attempted or completed rape; an additional 39% had committed another type of sexual assault involving forced sexual contact or verbal coercion. An expanded version of the Malamuth et al.[1991] confluence model was examined using path analysis. The number of sexual assaults perpetrated by participants was associated with the direct or indirect effects of childhood sexual abuse, adolescent delinquency, alcohol problems, sexual dominance, positive attitudes about casual sexual relationships, and pressure from peers to engage in sexual relationships. Additionally, empathy buffered the relationship between sexual dominance and perpetration. The pattern of results was highly similar for African American and Caucasian men. The implications of these findings for sexual assault measurement are discussed and suggestions are made for alternative treatment programs.

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“…Some studies also consider rape to include unwanted sexual intercourse when the woman is incapacitated by alcohol, either as a result of her voluntary consumption or because substances were administered to her by the perpetrator for the purpose of incapacitating her. Intercourse with a woman who is unable to provide consent as a result of incapacitation is illegal in most states (see Kramer, 1994). Studies that have assessed incapacitated rape using items that conform well to legal statutes report that lifetime prevalence of rape in the general population increases to about 18% when these experiences are included (Kilpatrick et al, 2007; Testa, Livingston, VanZile-Tamsen, and Frone, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alcohol Consumption and Women's Vulnerability to Sexual Victimization: Can Reducing Women's Drinking Prevent Rape?

Testa

Livingston

2009

Substance Use & Misuse

215

167

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Before effective prevention interventions can be developed, it is necessary to identify the mechanisms that contribute to the targeted negative outcomes. A review of the literature on women's substance use and sexual victimization points to women's heavy episodic drinking as a proximal risk factor, particularly among college samples. At least half of sexual victimization incidents involve alcohol use and the majority of rapes of college women occur when the victim is too intoxicated to resist ("incapacitated rape"). Despite the importance of women's heavy episodic drinking as being a risk factor, existing rape prevention programs have rarely addressed women's alcohol use and have shown little success in reducing rates of sexual victimization. We argue that given the strength of the association between heavy episodic drinking and sexual victimization among young women, prevention programs targeting drinking may prove more efficacious than programs targeting sexual vulnerability. Applications of existing drinking prevention strategies to reducing women's sexual victimization are discussed.

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Rule by Myth: The Social and Legal Dynamics Governing Alcohol-Related Acquaintance Rapes

Cited by 31 publications

References 0 publications

Sexual Assault Perpetrators’ Tactics: Associations With Their Personal Characteristics and Aspects of the Incident

Sexual Assault Perpetrators’ Tactics: Associations With Their Personal Characteristics and Aspects of the Incident

Cross-sectional predictors of sexual assault perpetration in a community sample of single African American and Caucasian men

Alcohol Consumption and Women's Vulnerability to Sexual Victimization: Can Reducing Women's Drinking Prevent Rape?

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