The Role of Alcohol Use, Drinking Context, and Alcohol Expectancies in Sexual Assault Perpetration Among College Men

Abstract

Sexual assault is a major public health and criminal justice problem in our society. The high prevalence rate of sexual assault victimization and perpetration among college students is even more disturbing. Additionally, the prevalence of alcohol use among college students is higher than in the general population, and alcohol use is associated with more than half of sexual assaults. The goal of the present study was to gain a deeper understanding of the role of various alcohol related factors in sexual assault perpetration among college men. Specifically, this study assessed the association of perpetration with general problematic alcohol use, general frequency of bar/party attendance (i.e., drinking context), and alcohol outcome expectancies related to sexual enhancement and social facilitation. Additionally, the study assessed proximal alcohol use by the perpetrator and victim in reported incidents of assault and whether these assaults were more likely than not to occur at or immediately after leaving a bar or party. Participants were 152 college men who responded to a variety of assessment measures via a confidential online survey. Participants were categorized into three groups: non-perpetrators (n = 38), contact/coercion perpetrators (n = 77), and rape perpetrators (n = 37). Results indicated that general problematic alcohol use, general frequency of bar/party attendance, and alcohol outcome expectancies related to sexual enhancement and social facilitation were all individually associated with sexual assault perpetration. However, in assessing these factors together in multivariate analysis, only sexual enhancement expectancies (and general bar/party attendance in the rape group) was significantly associated with perpetration. Results also indicated that alcohol was used by both the perpetrator and victim in most cases involving rape level assaults, but not in contact/coercion level assaults. Furthermore, assaults were not more likely to occur at or immediately after leaving a bar or party. Implications for both research and intervention purposes are also discussed.