The Role of Alcohol Expectancies and Alcohol Consumption Among Sexually Victimized and Nonvictimized College Women

Abstract

The present study investigated alcohol expectancies, alcohol consumption, sexual assertiveness, and the number of consensual sexual partners as potential risk factors for sexual assault among three groups of college women: nonvictimized, moderately victimized, and severely victimized. Women with severe victimization histories (attempted or completed rape), compared with nonvictims, reported more consensual sexual partners, less perceived assertiveness in their ability to refuse unwanted sexual advances, greater weekly alcohol consumption, and more positive outcome expectancies for alcohol including tension reduction, sexual enhancement, and global positive change. In addition, for both victimized and nonvictimized women, consumption of alcohol and expectancies of social enhancement following alcohol use independently accounted for a significant portion of the variance of sexual activity following alcohol consumption. Findings are discussed with respect to research aimed at reducing sexual assault among women who are at highest risk for sexual violence.

Intimate Partner Violence and Patterns of Alcohol Abuse and Dependence Criteria Among Women: A Latent Class Analysis

“…Consistent with a self-medication theory, women may be more motivated than men to consume alcohol out of response to stress (Greenfi eld et al, 2010). Available cross-sectional research assessing the impact of prior violence victimization on women's problem drinking supports a self-medication model (Corbin et al, 2001;Ullman et al, 2006). Evidence for a self-medication model is bolstered by longitudinal studies reporting associations between prior victimization and future alcohol use directly (Kilpatrick, 1997;Thompson et al, 2008;Widom et al, 2006) and indirectly through mood disorders such as MDD, a psychiatric consequence shared by many victims of violence (Clark et al, 2003;Golding, 1999;Madruga et al, 2011).…”

Incapacitated rape and alcohol use: A prospective analysis

“…It is possible that the increased alcohol use, and resulting consequences, following incapacitated rape may just be an example of coping to regulate negative affect (Cooper, Frone, Russell, & Mudar, 1995;Stewart, Pihl, Conrod, & Dongier, 1998). Both greater endorsement of tension reduction expectancies and greater alcohol consumption have been associated with sexual victimization in female college students (Corbin et al, 2001;Marx et al, 2000) and clinical samples (Simpson, 2003).…”

“…Moreover, heavy drinking may follow sexual assault as a means of coping with assault-related psychological distress (Grayson & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2005;Miranda, Meyerson, Long, Marx, & Simpson, 2002). Several studies have reported increased alcohol consumption and more drinking-related negative consequences in sexually assaulted college students as compared to their non-assaulted peers (Corbin, Bernat, Calhoun, McNair, & Seals, 2001;Larimer, Lydum, Anderson, & Turner, 1999;Marx, Nichols-Anderson, Messman-Moore, Miranda, & Porter, 2000). This relationship appears consistent across both male and female victims (Larimer et al, 1999).…”

Alcohol Expectancy, Drinking Behavior, and Sexual Victimization Among Female and Male College Students

“…Specifically, college women with a history of sexual victimization tend to more strongly endorse alcohol expectancies related to their greater vulnerability to sexual assault when drinking (Benson, Gohm, & Gross, 2007). Victims of substance-fueled sexual assault are also much more likely to consume alcohol, as well as subscribe to alcohol expectancies related to social and physical benefits (Corbin, Bernat, Calhoun, McNair, & Seals, 2001;Marx et al, 2000).…”