Alcohol use and sexual assault on college campuses are highly prevalent and the focus of numerous prevention and intervention efforts. Our goals were to gain a greater understanding of the relationship between coercive sexual experiences, utilization of protective behavioral strategies and alcohol expectancies and consumption among male and female college students. We surveyed 370 college students regarding their past year experiences and found that 34% of women and 31% of men reported unwanted sexual contact, 6% of women and 13% of men reported engaging in sexually coercive behavior, and 4% of women and 9% of men reported experiencing both unwanted contact and engaging in sexually coercive behavior. Findings indicated students who experienced unwanted sexual contact reported significant differences in alcohol expectancies. More specifically, those who engaged in sexually coercive behaviors had significantly higher sex-related alcohol expectancies. In addition, recipients of unwanted contact reported higher alcohol consumption, used fewer protective strategies when drinking, and experienced more negative consequences due to their alcohol use. Results suggest that campus alcohol and sexual assault prevention efforts should include information on alcohol expectancies and use of protective strategies.
Abbey, A. ( 2002, March). Alcohol-related sexual assault: A common problem among college students. Journal of Studies on Alcohol , (Suppl. 14), 118-128.
2.
Abbey, A., McAuslan, P., & Ross, L.T. ( 1998). Sexual assault perpetration by college men: The role of alcohol, misperception of sexual intent, and sexual beliefs and experiences . Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 17, 167-195.
3.
Abbey, A., Ross, L.T., McDuffie, D., & McAuslan, P. ( 1996a). Alcohol and dating risk factors for sexual assault among college women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 20, 147-169.
4.
Abbey, A., Ross, L.T., McDuffie, D., & McAuslan, P. ( 1996b). Alcohol, misperception, and sexual assault: How and why are they linked? In D. M. Buss & N. M. Malamuth (Eds.), Sex, power, conflict: Evolutionary and feminist perspectives (pp. 138-161). New York: Oxford University Press.
5.
Abbey, A., Zawacki, T., Buck, P.O., & Clinton, A.M. ( 2001). Alcohol and sexual assault. Alcohol Research & Health, 25, 43-51.
6.
Abbey, A., Zawacki, T., Buck, P.O., Clinton, A.M., & McAuslan, P. ( 2004). Sexual assault and alcohol consumption: What do we know about their relationship and what types of research are still needed ? Aggression and Violent Behavior, 9, 271-303.
7.
Anderson, P.B., & Savage, J.S. ( 2005). Social, legal, and institutional context of heterosexual aggression by college women. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse , 6, 130-140.
8.
Banyard, V.L., Ward, S., Cohn, E.S., Plante, E.G., Moorhead, C., & Walsh, W. ( 2007). Unwanted sexual contact on campus: A comparison of women and men’s experiences. Violence and Victims , 22, 52-70.
9.
Benson, B.J., Gohm, C.L., & Gross, A.M. ( 2007). College women and sexual assault: The role of sex-related alcohol expectancies. Journal of Family Violence , 22, 341-351.
10.
Benton, S.L., Schmidt, J.L., Newton, F.B., Shin, K., Benton, S.A., & Newton, D.W. ( 2004). College student protective strategies and drinking consequences . Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 65, 115-121.
11.
Buddie, A.M., & Miller, A.G. ( 2001). Beyond rape myths: A more complex view of perceptions of rape victims. Sex Roles, 45, 139-160.
12.
Collins, R.L., Parks, G.A., & Marlatt, G.A. ( 1985). Social determinants of alcohol consumptions: The effects of social interaction and model status on the self-administration of alcohol . Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , 53, 189-200.
13.
Combs-Lane, A.M., & Smith, D.W. ( 2002). Risk of sexual victimization and women: The role of behavioral intentions and risk taking behaviors. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 17, 165-183.
14.
Corbin, W.R., Bernat, J.A., Calhoun, K.S., McNair, L.D., & Seals, K.L. ( 2001). The role of alcohol expectancies and alcohol consumption among sexually victimized and nonvictimized college women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 16, 297-311.
15.
Delva, J., Smith, M.P., Howell, R.L., Harrison, D.F., Wilke, D., & Jackson, S.L. ( 2004). A study of the relationship between protective behaviors and drinking consequences among undergraduate college students. Journal of American College Health, 53, 19-26.
16.
Fiebert, M., & Tucci, L. ( 1998). Sexual coercion: Men victimized by women. Journal of Men’s Studies, 6, 127-133.
17.
Fromme, K., Stroot, E., & Kaplan, D. ( 1993). Comprehensive effects of alcohol: Development and psychometric assessment of a new expectancy questionnaire. Psychological Assessment, 5, 19-26.
18.
Goldman, M.S., Boca, F.K., & Darkes, J. ( 1999). Alcohol expectancy theory: The application of cognitive neuroscience. In K. E. Leonard & H. T. Blane (Eds.), Psychological theories of drinking and alcoholism (pp. 203-246). New York: Guilford.
19.
Greene, D.M., & Navarro, R.L. ( 1998). Situation-specific assertiveness in the epidemiology of sexual victimization among university women: A prospective path analysis . Psychology of Women Quarterly, 22, 589-604.
20.
Haines, M.P., Barker, G., & Rice, R.M. ( 2006). The personal protective behaviors of college student drinkers: Evidence of indigenous protective norms. Journal of American College Health, 55, 69-75.
21.
Harrington, N.T., & Leitenberg, H. (1994). Relationship between alcohol consumption and victim behaviors immediately preceding sexual aggression by acquaintance. Violence and Victims, 9, 315-324.
22.
Humphrey, J.A., & White, J.W. ( 2000). Women’s vulnerability to sexual assault from adolescence to young adulthood. Journal of Adolescent Health, 27, 419-424.
23.
Johnston, L.D., O’Malley, P.M., Bachman, J.G., & Schulenberg, P.M. (2007). Monitoring the future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2006: Volume II, College students and adults ages 19-45 (NIH Publication No. 07-6206). Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.
24.
Jones, B.T., Corbin, W.R., & Fromme, K. ( 2001). A review of expectancy theory and alcohol consumption . Addiction, 96, 57-72.
25.
Kaysen, D., Neighbors, C., Martell, J., Fossos, N., & Larimer, M.E. ( 2006). Incapacitated rape and alcohol use: A prospective analysis . Addictive Behaviors, 31, 1820-1832.
26.
Koss, M.P. ( 1988). Hidden rape: Sexual aggression and victimization in a national sample of students in higher education. In A. W. Burgess (Ed.), Rape and sexual assault II (pp. 3-25). New York: Garland.
27.
Koss, M.P. ( 1992). The underdetection of rape: Methodological choices influence incidence estimates. Journal of Social Issues, 48, 61-76.
28.
Koss, M.P., & Oros, C.J. ( 1982). Sexual experiences survey: A research instrument investigating sexual aggression and victimization. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 50, 455-457.
29.
Larimer, M.E., Lydum, A.R., Anderson, B.K., & Turner, A.P. ( 1999). Male and female recipient of unwanted sexual contact in a college student sample: Prevalence rates, alcohol use, and depression symptoms. Sex Roles, 40, 295-308.
30.
Marx, B.P., Nichols-Anderson, C., Messman-Moore, T., Miranda, R., & Porter, C. ( 2000). Alcohol consumption, outcome expectancies, and victimization status among female college students. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 30, 1056-1070.
31.
Muehlenhard, C.L., & Linton, M.A. ( 1987). Date rape and sexual aggression in dating situations: Incidence and risk factors. Journal of Counseling Psychology , 34, 186-196.
32.
O’Sullivan, L.F., Byers, E.S., & Finkelman, L. ( 1998). A comparison of male and female college students’ experiences of sexual coercion. Psychology of Women Quarterly , 22, 177-195.
33.
Palmer, R.S. ( 2004). Efficacy of the Alcohol Skills Training Program in mandated and non-mandated heavy drinking college students. Unpublished doctoral dissertation , University of Washington, Seattle .
34.
Parks, K.A., & Fals-Stewart, W. (2004). The temporal relationship between college women’s alcohol consumption and victimization experiences . Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 28, 625-629.
35.
Perkins, H.W. ( 2002). Surveying the damage: A review of research on consequences of alcohol misuse in college populations. Journal of Studies on Alcohol (Suppl. 14), 91-100.
36.
Poppen, P.J., & Segal, N.J. ( 1988). The influence of sex and sex role orientation on sexual coercion. Sex Roles, 19, 689-701.
37.
Struckman-Johnson, C.J., & Struckman-Johnson, D.L. (1998). The dynamics and impact of sexual coercion of men by women. In P. B. Anderson & C. J. Struckman-Johnson (Eds.), Sexually aggressive women: Current perspectives and controversies (pp. 121-169). New York: Guilford.
38.
Testa, M., & Dermen, K.H. ( 1999). The differential correlates of sexual coercion and rape . Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 14, 548-561.
39.
Testa, M., & Parks, K.A. ( 1996). The role of women’s alcohol consumption in sexual victimization. Aggression and Violent Behavior: A Review Journal , 1, 217-234.
40.
Ullman, S.E., Karabatos, G., & Koss, M.P. ( 1999). Alcohol and sexual assault in a national sample of college women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 14, 603-625.
41.
Walters, S.T., Roudsari, B.S., Vader, A.M., & Harris, T.R. ( 2007). Correlates of protective behavior utilization among heavy-drinking college students. Addictive Behaviors , 32, 2633-2644.
42.
Wechsler, H., Lee, J.E., Kuo, M., Seibring, M., Nelson, T., & Lee, H. ( 2002). Trends in college binge drinking during a period of increased prevention efforts: Findings from 4 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study Surveys: 1993-2001. Journal of American College Health, 50, 203-217.
43.
White, H.R., & Labouvie, E.W. (1989). Toward the assessment of adolescent problem drinking. Journal of Studies on Alcohol , 50, 30-37.
44.
Wilson, A.E., Calhoun, K.S., & McNair, L.D. (2002). Alcohol consumption and expectancies among sexually coercive college men. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 17, 1145-1159.
