NCJ Number
229242
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 49 Issue: 6 Dated: November 2009 Pages: 848-862
Date Published
November 2009
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study explored knowledge and beliefs about drink-spiking and the linked threat of sexual assault.
Abstract
Results indicate that the fear of having one's drink spiked in a club or party setting appear to be high among college students; the overwhelming majority were aware of so-called "date rape" drugs, and significant numbers reported first- or second-hand knowledge of such incidents. Students, in many cases, judged certain bad-nights-out episodes (loss of memory, blackouts, ill feeling, and dizziness) as likely to be related to tampering of drinks rather than the quantity of drink itself. Given the lack of evidence that drink-spiking is commonly implicated in sexual assaults, especially in comparison to excessive alcohol consumption, it is believed that the preoccupation with drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) suggests that the threat of DFSA has certain attractive features as an account for disproportionate loss of control. Since alcohol is voluntarily consumed, it appears to be less desirable as an explanation of vulnerability even though alcohol consumption is far from voluntary in real, social terms. Data were collected through interviews with 236 university students in the United Kingdom and 334 in the United States. Tables and references