Alcohol-Related Sexual Assault Victimization Among Adolescents: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Correlates

Abstract

Objective-The purpose of this study was to document the prevalence and describe the characteristics of alcohol-related sexual assault among middle and high school students.Method-A Web-based, self-administered survey was used to collect data on 7th-through 12th-grade students (n = 1,037) in a large metropolitan area in the Midwest. A modified version of the Sexual Experiences Survey was used to ask students about their sexual victimization experiences so as to examine the involvement of alcohol within specific assault events. The sample was equally distributed by biological gender and ethnicity (white vs black) and was, on average (SD), 14 (2) years of age.Results-Findings from the study indicate that alcohol was involved in approximately 12%-20% of the assault cases, depending on age and gender of the respondent. For females, the presence of alcohol during assault differed significantly based on the location at which the assault occurred, ranging from 6% (at the survivor's home) to 29% (at parties or someone else's home). Furthermore, alcohol-related assault among females was more likely to involve physical force than non-alcoholrelated assault.Conclusions-Results are discussed in light of the risk factors of alcohol-related assault among adolescents as well as the nature of social contexts that fosters alcohol-related sexual assault among both adolescents and college students.Sexual assault, which refers to any form of unwanted sexual contact obtained through violent or nonviolent means, has profound ramification in the lives of its victims in terms of their psychological and physical well-being (see Neville and Heppner, 1999, for a review). Previous research based on college students has documented a strong relationship between alcohol and sexual assault. To date, however, there has been limited research on the association between alcohol and sexual assault among adolescents. Although adolescents report lower rates of alcohol consumption than do college students, adolescents have the highest rate of sexual assault among all age groups, according to the National Crime Victim Survey (Rennison, 2002), suggesting that research in this area is warranted. Thus, the purpose of this study was to document the prevalence and describe the characteristics of alcohol-related sexual assault among middle and high school students. Given the limited research on alcohol-related assault among adolescents, we draw on the wealth of data on alcohol-related assault among college

Adolescent Sexual Assault and the Medical and Nonmedical Use of Prescription Medication

“…However, the findings also coincide with a “date rape” model in which alcohol and/or drug use incapacitates the victim rendering them more vulnerable to attack. Among adolescent girls, drug-and alcohol-facilitated and incapacitated sexual assault occurs in one out of every five sexual assault victims (McCauley et al, 2009; Young et al, 2008). Thus, it is quite plausible that both the self-medication and date-rape explanations for this association are valid and that future research is needed to better understand the nature of the association.…”

“…Both active parental consent and student assent were obtained. Additional details on the survey administration procedures have been described elsewhere (Boyd et al, 2007; McCabe et al, 2007; Young et al, 2008). …”

“…The SES is a self-report survey instrument consisting of 10 items designed to obtain information about degrees of sexual aggression, ranging from sexual harassment through sexual acts involving physical contact, including penetration. Modifications were made to the SES to make it suitable for peer-on-peer assault among an adolescent population by reducing the number of items, simplifying the language, and specifying that respondents were to report on acts that occurred since the beginning of middle school with peers of the opposite sex and approximately the same age; this modified version of the SES has been used in previous research (Young et al, 2008a, 2008b). Aggressive acts involving physical contact were defined as sexual assault.…”

“…Annual rates of sexual assault (for males and females) in 2001 were highest for 16–19 year olds (3.4 cases per 1000 persons), followed by 20–24 year olds (2.4 cases), 12–15 year olds (1.7 cases), and 24–29 year olds (1.1 cases; Rennison, 2002). Studies documenting the prevalence of peer-on-peer sexual victimization during adolescence among community based samples (i.e., schools) of adolescent girls indicate that such victimization is far more common than suggested by previous studies based on victim’s seeking treatment, reported cases of assault, or crime reports (Snyder, 2000); indeed, 40 to 50% of adolescents report unwanted sexual contact by peers that meets the Department of Justice’s definition of sexual victimization (Maxwell, Robinson, & Post, 2003; Poitras & Lavoie, 1995; Young, Grey, Abbey, & Boyd, 2008). …”

Hook-Up Sexual Experiences and Problem Behaviors Among Adolescents

“…All of the 2,048 students within the school district were contacted and 1,376 assented, received parental consent, and participated in the study, representing a 67.2% response rate. Minor distinctions between the sample and district population were present and described thoroughly elsewhere (Young, Grey, Abbey, & Boyd, 2008); respondents were more likely than non-respondents to be female and White.…”