Women's Awareness of and Discomfort with Sexual Assault Cues: Effects of Alcohol Consumption and Relationship Type

• NCJ Number: 228315
• Journal: Violence Against Women Volume: 15 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2009 Pages: 1106-1125
• Author(s): Kelly Cue Davis; Susan A. Stoner; Jeanette Norris; William H. George; N. Tatiana Masters
• Date Published: September 2009
• Length: 20 pages
• Grant Number(s): AA12219
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the effects of alcohol and relationship type on women's sexual risk perception.

Abstract

Findings indicate that alcohol may increase women's sexual victimization assault likelihood. Researchers conducted two studies to examine the effects of alcohol consumption and relationship type on women's awareness of and feelings of discomfort with sexual assault risk cues. Study data indicated that a moderate dose of alcohol interfered with recognition of ambiguous risk cues. Sober women become increasingly uncomfortable as risk cues become more clear, but intoxicated women showed no such increase in discomfort. Because intoxicated women are less likely than sober women to perceive risk early in the situation when cues are typically ambiguous, they may also be less likely to take precautions early in the dating episode, thereby increasing their vulnerability to sexual assault. In study 1, data were collected from 62 women average age of 22 from a large western university. In study 2, 351 women age 21 to 35 were recruited from the same university and the community. Tables, figure, note, and references