NCJ Number
236717
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2008 Pages: 3-20
Date Published
January 2008
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the effect of voluntary and involuntary drug use on attributions about sexual assault.
Abstract
This study investigates the effect of voluntary and involuntary drug use on attributions about sexual assault. The sample was composed of 280 randomly selected male and female undergraduate students. The type of drug used (GHB, alcohol, or none) and the voluntariness of the administration were varied in an unambiguous date rape scenario. Participants viewed sexual assault facilitated by alcohol or drugs similarly to sexual assault without drug or alcohol involvement, assigning the highest levels of responsibility and blame to the perpetrator and the lowest levels of both to the victim in these situations. In contrast, women's voluntary consumption of drugs prior to a sexual assault reduced perpetrator responsibility and blame and increased blame to the victim compared to other situations (except in some cases, voluntary drunkenness). These findings extend the limited research on date rape drugs and previous work on the influence of alcohol on date rape attributions. (Published Abstract)