The Role of Alcohol


The physical effects of alcohol are predictable and progressive. As a person becomes more intoxicated, mental and physical impairment increases. Beginning with the first drink, alcohol will reduce inhibitions and judgment.
What attracts people to drinking alcohol? When inhibitions are reduced, people can be friendlier, funnier, and more talkative. However, many negative effects can result--people take risks they wouldn't normally. For example, some may find themselves in situations that are uncomfortable or unsafe. Some may misjudge their abilities to do something. For example, they may believe that they can run faster than they actually can, or drink more than they can actually handle.
As blood alcohol increases, so does physical and mental impairment.
Research has indicated that up to 90 percent of sexual assaults involve the use of alcohol by the perpetrator, survivor, or both. Alcohol reduces inhibitions, making some things such as sexual assault seem more acceptable.  When using alcohol, it is important to learn your personal limits, as perpetrators tend to choose folks they perceive to be more vulnerable. Being intoxicated does not release any initiator of sexual activity from his/her responsibility for obtaining consent. 

Alcohol  & Sexual Assault Statistics
In 2002, more than 70,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 were victims of alcohol-related sexual assault in the U.S.
*Hingson, R., Heeren, T., et al. (2002). "Magnitude of alcohol-related mortality and morbidity among U.S. college students ages 18-24." Journal of Studies on Alcohol 63(2): 136-144.

Ninety percent of all campus rapes occur when alcohol has been used by either the assailant or the victim.
*www.rainn.org

Coercion

The use of alcohol for sexual purposes can often be a coercive tactic. Coercion is explained as a continuum of activities, ranging from subtle to overt:

  • encouraging someone to disregard personal boundaries
  • encouraging someone to drink alcohol
  • actively pressuring someone to drink
  • supplying someone with alcohol for the purpose of engaging in sex with that person

Although coercive tactics, like pressuring someone to drink in order to have sex, may not necessarily meet the legal definition of sexual assault, it is morally questionable. Coercion also undermines the community of safety, trust, and honor.

Expectancies

Expectancies are simply the things we expect to happen when we drink. Although alcohol often causes increased feelings of sexual arousal, these feelings can be intensified if people expect to feel this way. This is not to say that sexual assault is caused by intensified feelings of sexual arousal, but that a person's expectancies of what could happen when drinking can lead to engaging in forceful, aggressive behavior regarding sexual arousal. Sexual assault is not a result of extreme arousal, but a result of forcefully imposing sex against a person's will.
Gender stereotypes and social expectations can also support certain behaviors while condemning others. For example, what assumptions are made about women who frequently drink at parties or bars? What allowances are made for men when alcohol consumption gets out of hand?
Wanting intimacy, affection, and sexual contact is natural for all human beings. Depending on upbringing, personal values, and perceptions of the expectations of others, we may attribute shame, embarrassment, or other inhibiting feelings to sex. Needing alcohol in order to socialize or engage in sexual activity might indicate some level of dependency. Talking these feelings over with a counselor could be very helpful.

Communication

The physical and mental effects of alcohol use can result in major communication problems between potential partners. One result of impaired judgment is that men and women can send conflicting messages and misinterpret messages of sexual interest. Communication is difficult under the best circumstances - adding alcohol significantly increases the difficulty level.
*Norris, J, and Kerr, KL. Alcohol and violent pornography: Responses to permissive and nonpermissive cues. Journal of Studies on Alcohol Suppl. 11: 118-127, 1993

*Abbey, A; Ross, LT, McDuffe, D; and McAuslan, P. Alcohol, misperception, and sexual assault: how and why are they linked? In: Buss, DM, and Malamuth, N, eds. Sex, Power, Conflict: Evolutionary and Feminist Perspectives. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. pp.138-161.

Suggestions for safer alcohol use
The safest, and only legal option for those under the age of 21, is to not drink alcohol. However, 80% of college students have already or will drink at some point. There are many strategies you can use to protect yourself when drinking.
Here is an opportunity for you to choose the best strategies for you.

  1. Choose not to drink
    This is a no-brainer. Not drinking is always an option for you, at any time.
  2. Eat before and during drinking
    Having food in the stomach slows the absorption of alcohol, meaning that Blood alcohol content increases more slowly. Bad things happen when the effects of alcohol occur suddenly (like blackouts).
  3. Drink only with trusted friends or use the buddy system
    Friends who know you, and are looking out for you, can protect you from being in an unsafe situation. Be aware of the risks involved if all friends drinking become intoxicated and impaired. Consider having one person remain sober. Also, if a friend appears abnormally drowsy, or excessively drunk given the amount of alcohol consumed, it may indicate the use of a predatory drug like Rohypnol or Gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB). Get to a safe place and/or seek medical attention.
  4. Ask a close friend to intervene if they think you've had enough
    It can be as easy as saying, "I don't want to hook up with anyone tonight," or "don't let me make a fool out of myself."
  5. Set a limit for yourself and stick to that limit
  6. Pace drinks over time (ideally one drink an hour) and no more than four drinks in one setting.
  7. Avoid drinking games
    When playing drinking games, it is likely that a lot of alcohol can be consumed in a short amount of time. It is also likely that you can loose track of how much alcohol you've consumed. You can always play with another beverage, or make your own rules.
  8. Alternate between alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages
    Alternating between an alcoholic beverage and water can help you to both maintain a low BAC and prevent dehydration.
  9. Keep track of how much you're drinking
  10. Use a designated driver who is completely sober
  11. Always have an exit plan
    Knowing how to safely get home if a problem occurs can be very helpful. Some suggestions: keep the number of a cab company in your cell phone, have cab fare in cash, enlist friends as allies to intervene, and set up a signal to let a friend know if you need a rescue.
  12. Never leave your drink unattended, and do not accept a drink from someone you do not know.
    Be aware that predatory drugs like GHB and Rohypnol can be used to facilitate a sexual assault. However, alcohol is still the most commonly used predatory drug

When sex is a possibility:

  1. Pay attention to how much your partner is drinking
  2. Remember that consent to sexual activity before drinking is helpful but never final
  3. Remember that impairment of judgment can begin with the first drink
  4. Remember that probability of miscommunication is high when people have been drinking.
  5. Warning bells should be going off if you see an opportunity in hooking up with an intoxicated person. If you're in doubt - wait!

Who is responsible when both parties are drinking?
How can one person's choice to drink increase responsibility while another's decreases responsibility? What if both people are drinking? The answer is not always black or white - it is most often in the gray area.
If someone chooses to drink alcohol, that choice never equates to "asking" to get hurt. No one should ever hurt or take advantage of another person's vulnerability or impairment. Society often blames victims of sexual assault who have been drinking because it is assumed that their choice to drink led to the assault. In reality, it is an offender who chooses to take advantage of another person's level of intoxication to commit an assault. When alcohol is involved in a sexual assault- it is always the fault of the offender- regardless of whether or not he/she had been drinking as well.
It is always a best practice to avoid engaging in sexual activity while drinking or drunk.
If consent is unclear, stop immediately and clarify with your partner. Remember, those incapacitated by the use of drugs or alcohol are unable to consent to sexual activity. Engaging in any sort of sexual activity with a person who is incapacitated may be a crime and is certainly a violation of the Student Conduct Code at the University of Oregon.
When alcohol is involved in a sexual assault, we do know that victims are generally held MORE responsible ("They shouldn't have been drinking") and offenders are generally held LESS responsible ("Well, they had been drinking").
* Information used with permission from College of William & Mary Website*