NCJ Number
156726
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Dated: (Winter 1994) Pages: 315-324
Date Published
1994
Length
10 pages
Annotation
A survey of 942 female college students (85-percent return rate) from four New England colleges and universities shows that 25 percent had been victims of sexual aggression by an acquaintance since the age of 16; alcohol consumption just prior to the sexual aggression was examined.
Abstract
Questionnaires were distributed over two semesters to 1,090 female undergraduate students at four universities in the New England area, two more in an urban setting in Boston (585), and two more in a rural setting in Vermont (505). Victimization was established by using the female version of the Sexual Experiences Survey. This 12-item questionnaire refers to sexual contact associated with various degrees of coercion, threat, and force. Only victims who were at least 16 years old at the time of the aggression, who reported sexual contact other than kissing, and who reported that the perpetrator had used threats or physical force were included in the study. Each of the dependent variables was examined as a function of the victim's self-perceived drunkenness. Victims were asked to rate how drunk they were at the time of the sexual aggression, using a 7-point Likert scale. They were also asked to estimate how drunk they perceived the perpetrator to be. Fifty-five percent of the victims indicated they were at least somewhat drunk at the time of the sexual aggression. Those who perceived they were at least somewhat drunk reported engaging in higher levels of consensual sexual activity with the aggressor immediately prior to the assault and reported lower levels of resistance than those who were not at all drunk. The implications these results may have for increased vulnerability to sexual aggression are discussed. 2 tables and 30 references